


Felinette Chronicles

by cxalo



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste is Dense, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Felinette Chronicles, Felix is snarky, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Marinette Dupain-cheng is sassy, Slow Burn, and alya kinda is too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2020-08-13 08:30:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20171263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cxalo/pseuds/cxalo
Summary: (What started as a one-off thing has now become a series of one shots that all connect. It's moreso snapshots from a fic than a full fic itself.)Felix Agreste begins attending College Francoise Dupont, reluctant but befriending Marinette. Their banter leads to friendship, and the two find compassion for each other in ways they didn't see coming.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So since this is the first chapter, let me explain how I'll do this. I post these updates to Tumblr first before posting them here, and I've already posted 5.5 updates on Tumblr (you'll see about that .5 soon enough). I'm going to update these every day until they're caught up with Tumblr, then continue to release these a little after I've put each new update on Tumblr. Over there, I have little notes written before each chapter, and I'll transfer them to here. :) Also! If you want to see the updates when they first arrive, you can find me on Tumblr at lilbugwrites.tumblr.com  
**THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE STORY.** It is a series of one shots that take place in the same universe/storyline. I started this as a one-off prompt response, then started writing more one shots as more people requested it. I plan on filling out the story a little more now, but at the end of the day that's what it is. I'm basically a fluff-generator for felinette shippers lmao. Once the felinette chronicles are over, I will try my hand at writing an actual story! But for now, enjoy the fluff :)  
Okay, onto the regular notes!  
\------------------  
Alright, I’ve finally read some felinette fics and got a feel for Felix’s character/their dynamic. This might not be what u want because there aren’t many fics of these guys, so not a really filled out fandom consensus on Felix’s character. But I guess this is how I interpret him! ALSO idk why I made Marinette so sassy; I headcanon her as more of a spitfire than the show lets on. Also, I know this isn’t necessarily romantic, so if that’s more what you were looking for, come back to my ask anytime and I’ll try my hand at Felinette again! :)

“Five euros says she’ll get him to warm up in two weeks,” Nino said, placing a firm hand down on his desk.

“No way,” Adrien scoffed. “With my cousin? The guy’s almost as cold as my father. It’ll take at least a month.”

Alya just shook her head. “You fools are seriously underestimating Marinette right now. I bet ten euros that she pulls a genuine smile from him by the end of the day.” She placed her hand in front of the two, and they all shook on it.

“Deal,” Nino and Adrien said in unison. The three turned their heads toward Marinette, who was standing at the back of the classroom next to Felix’s desk, chatting away with her typical warmth while Felix looked forward.

“As the class representative, I just wanted to welcome you to College Francoise Dupont! I’ve been asked to show you around the school, but if you prefer to explore on your own, I’m fine with that too! Whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that; I will explore the school at my own pace during lunch.”

Marinette’s smile did not falter. “Sure thing. If you have any questions about your schedule, need some notes to catch up with the curriculum, or want some pastries from my parent’s bakery, please let me know!”

Still facing forward, Felix let out a huff of air. “I could do without the sucking up, Mlle. Marinette.”

Now Marinette’s smile faltered. “Excuse me?”

“Uh-oh,” Nino said from his desk. “Looks like there’s trouble in paradise, Als.”

Alya pouted as Adrien chuckled. “Just wait and see, Lahiffe.”

“I’ve heard that you’re quite the fan of my uncle’s designs, but sucking up to me will not bring you any closer to him, so please refrain from here on out.”

“How about you refrain from any more far-reaching assumptions?” Felix turned his head up at the retort. “I understand that you’re new, and you don’t know me yet, but that’s all the more reason not to jump to conclusions.”

“What makes you different from any other girl? You all start out the same, with sweet smiles and friendly gestures, but you all end up the same, too. Begging to be close to Gabriel, to be invited to fashion shows or red carpets. I don’t have the patience to play this game.”

“Looks like you don’t have the patience to listen, either, or think critically.” The two turned their heads at that point, startled by Nino’s raucous laughter from the other side of the room. “Not that I would ever feel the need to impress you, but if I wanted to get closer to Gabriel, I would go to my friend. You know, the blonde one over there next to the loud kid? Gabriel’s very own son? I’m not concerned with your prestige here.”

Where Marinette’s resolve remained, her expression softened. “But my offers still stand. I would offer the same to anyone in this class, and I have, minus Chloe Bourgeois.”

At that, Felix smirked. “That high-pitched menace? I don’t blame you.”

“BAM. Ten euros, boys.” Alya held her hand out, smug, while Nino and Adrien grumbled, fishing out their wallets.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is a little shit and Felix falls for it >:3

It had been a few weeks since their introduction. Felix smirked at her a few more times, but otherwise kept up his cold and distant act. He told himself he would not be won over. Not when she brought him lemon cupcakes. Not when he glanced out the corner of his eye towards her, bent over and sketching fervently, eyeing the intricate and well-crafted design unfolding on the pages before her. Not when she smiled at him, certainly not then. It was all a ruse, he told himself, despite their initial encounter. One of these days, she expected him to crack, and when he did, she’d be there to take advantage of it. At least, that’s what he believed. So he pretended to be unbothered each time she cracked a grin his way, never as harsh as that first day but never more than polite. It was fine. He was fine. It didn’t bother him.

Until the day came that she didn’t smile at him. That, oh. That bothered him.

He didn’t want to ask for fear of coming across like he cared. As if. But he had to wonder what was going on, since she smiled at him every day without fail. Maybe she was just having a bad day. Maybe she didn’t get enough sleep last night. Maybe she finally grew tired of his distance and gave up. Maybe she—

“Hey, Felix? You okay?” The soft voice from the seat next to him shook him from his thoughts.

“What?”

“It’s just, you look a little stressed. Is everything okay?”

He couldn’t help himself; his mouth gaped for a moment before he promptly shut it. “You’re asking me… if everything is okay.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to; I just wanted to check in.”

“That’s… that’s not it.”

“Then what?” Her blue eyes gazed upward at him, filled with concern.

“I was just wondering…” He lowered his voice to a mumble. “Ifeverythingwasokaywithyou.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I was wondering,” he enunciated, eyes forward, “if everything was okay with you.”

She perked right up. “Oh, I’m fine! What made you think I wasn’t?”

Felix pressed his lips together, eyes shooting upwards. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Clearly, it’s not.” The pout on her face fell away to worry. “Really, if there’s something I should be concerned about, please tell me.”

“No, nothing like that.” He huffed. God, this pained him. “I noticed you had no greeting for me today, is all.”

“What? That’s it?”

“Well, every day you’ve greeted me without fail, so when you didn’t today, I thought…” he trailed off, catching the barely-contained smile and slight crinkle of her eyes.

“No,” she snorted, “please Felix, go on.”

“Oh, you bitch!” There was no bite to his words, and like so many times before, he couldn’t help but smirk. “You knew!”

“Knew what?” she asked innocently. “Knew that you do enjoy my company even though you pretend you don’t, or knew that if I didn’t smile at you today, it’d get to you?” There was no hiding the shit-eating grin on her face now. “I didn’t know anything.”

“Whatever, Mlle. Marinette. That’s the last time I care about your well-being.”

“Uh-huh. You say that, but we both know the truth,” Marinette said, smug. She kept that expression all class while Felix kept his eyes on the board, trying his best to return to the “unbothered” routine, but it didn’t quite work anymore.


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some hurt/comfort for the soul lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I’ve been teasing that I’d write another felinette oneshot for awhile now, but I finally got around to it! I wanted to write it sooner, but life’s hectic and I’m dealing with a lot, mental health-wise. Writing this cheered me up some, though! I think bc it’s hurt/comfort, which is my favorite thing to read. So, I hope you all enjoy!

Marinette walked up to her seat, head down. Holding tears back, she didn’t even acknowledge Felix as she sat down next to him.

Felix smirked. “If you’re trying to mess with me again, Mlle. Marinette, it won’t work. I’m not falling for your tricks this time—“

He froze when he heard a sniffle. Shifting towards her, he realized that she still wouldn’t look his way. He reached out his hand, then pulled it back. “Um… Marinette?”

That got her to look up; he never called her by just her name. She didn’t say a word, only staring at him, eyes wide and glassy.

Felix stood up, posture stiff. “Mme. Bustier, Marinette is not feeling well. I will take her to the nurse.” He didn’t allow her time for questions as he placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder and led her out of the classroom.

Once they rounded the corner outside, he stopped. “Are you…” he paused, not allowing himself to finish such a stupid question. _She’s clearly not okay; have some sensitivity,_ he directed himself. “What happened?”

Marinette tried to collect herself before looking up at Felix once again. He expected her to try and pretend she was fine or to hold the facade for a few moments before breaking down again. He didn’t expect her to ask him a question, especially about her.

“What do you think of Lila?”

“I am indifferent towards her, as I am most of this class. From what I’ve observed, however, she seems desperate for attention. Reeks of it, actually. Why do you ask?”

“Do you ever listen to the stories she tells?”

“You mean the ones she weaves? No, I have neither the time nor patience for such uninteresting lies.”

At that, Marinette exhales deeply. “So you know she’s lying?”

Felix scoffs. “Please. She’s worse than the girls who come onto me, begging to meet Gabriel. At least they feign some interest in me; every lie that girl speaks stems from pure egoism. It’s all bragging or seeking pity; she doesn’t even try to get to know others, just lures them in to her.”

Marinette shoots him a weak but playful smile. “I thought you don’t pay attention to her?”

“I don’t, but you don’t have to pay much attention to see through her. Why are you asking all of this, anyway?”

Just like that, the smile is gone. “It shouldn’t be that hard to see through her, huh? That’s what I thought, too. When I gave her the opportunity to come clean and start fresh with me, she threatened to take all my friends away from me. It freaked me out in the moment, but then I got over it. Like you said, it doesn’t take much to figure it out, so I expected everyone to come around soon enough.” A humorless laugh escapes her. “They didn’t, somehow. Everyone’s been ignoring me here and there, which is a little annoying, but I can handle that. Today though, Alya wouldn’t say a word to me; she wouldn’t even tell me why. I don’t know what Lila said to her, what she could’ve said to get Alya to avoid me completely. All I know is I should’ve taken her more seriously when she said that stuff all those months ago. I shouldn’t have underestimated her.” Her voice drops to a mumble. “I shouldn’t have overestimated Adrien, either.”

Growing angrier the longer Marinette went on, Felix now raised his eyebrows at the mention of his inept cousin. “I’m sorry, what was that last part about Adrien?”

Marinette sighed. “Adrien knows Lila’s a liar, too. He told me not to expose her for whatever fake noble reason; I honestly don’t remember at this point. I believed him then, though, since he told me we were in this together. I thought he meant that, but I guess it was just an excuse to do nothing.”

“Well, he is a fan of passivity, the imbecile.” Felix’s frown deepens. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t even stick up for someone such as yourself, though. He’s more of a coward than I thought.”

“Same.” Marinette’s eyes filled with tears again, sending Felix into a quiet panic.

“I, uh, apologize, Marinette. It wasn’t my intention to upset you again.”

“No, it’s not that,” Marinette said. “You’ve been really great, getting me out of class and talking to me here. You’ve been great since you got here, actually, even from our first interaction. You’ve always treated me the same while the rest of the class pushed me away more and more. The friends I’ve known for years, writing my feelings towards Lila off as jealousy. Believing her over me with no proof at all, even with all I’ve done for them.” She was fully crying now. “Thank you, Felix.”

Again, Felix reached his arms out, but instead of pulling back like he did in class, he pulled her in for an awkward hug. He wasn’t used to these things but slowly, his stiff arms loosened, and he really embraced her. “Don’t thank me for doing what a friend should. Your friends sound even more awful than I originally wrote them off as, and I don’t know how you ever extended your kindness to them. Except that I do, because you’re that kind of person.” Felix grumbled. “Which is all the more reason they should have believed you, or at least acknowledged your feelings. Idiots, all of them.” He felt Marinette giggle at that last part and smiled. She was still crying, but at least he got a laugh out of her. That felt good.

_Oh no,_ he thought. Because it felt more than good. Feeling her laugh against him, cheering her up after seeing her so distraught, realizing that seeing her that way broke his own heart more than he cared to admit… Felix wouldn’t dare say it aloud, but inwardly, he acknowledged the “something more” taking over him.

_Good God. I like her, don’t I?_


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Marinette run into each other at a fashion show. Also, we finally hear from a character other than these two again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today’s your lucky day anon bc I was debating between adding some jealous Adrien to part 4 of the felinette chronicles, but this message was the decision-maker! Sorry to everyone for nothing but dialogue again; I swear when I write full stories, I make sure to include everything! Action, setting, character appearance etc. Anyway I always ramble before posting these things lol enough

“Marinette?”

“Felix?”

The two blinked at each other in surprise; neither had expected to see the other here. Though, in retrospect, they probably should have.

“I didn’t know you were modeling for the show today,” Marinette said, smiling and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Adrien told me he would be here, but he didn’t mention you.”

Felix took her in: hair down and in loose waves, her usual makeup but with a darker red lip color, a baby pink coat hanging off her shoulders, and a sleek navy dress, figure-hugging but not too tight, paired with baby pink heels to match. He looked away, trying to hide his blush. _Why?_ he asked himself. _I thought I’d have more time before I saw her again; I don’t know what to do about these feelings. Am I being obvious right now? Can we act normal around each other? Can I act normal around her? What would that even entail? I can’t remember—_

“Hello? Earth to Felix? You in there?” Marinette giggled as Felix snapped back to reality.

“My apologies. Um, what brings you to the show today? Your interest in fashion, I’m assuming.” Felix pulled at the collar of his shirt and looked towards the runway.

“Normally, yes, but this is one of the few times that my designs brought me here.” She started grinning wildly.”Not to brag or anything.”

Felix smirked. “Yes, you’re certainly not bragging right now. Really though, congratulations; it’s impressive of you to have one of your designs featured on this line. Which one is it?”

Marinette scanned the bustling room for the lanky brunette wearing her belt and pants. “Uh, he’s around here somewhere.” She craned her neck for a better view of the thick of the crowd when someone rushed by and knocked into her. As she pitched forward, Felix held a hand out to steady her.

“Ah, am I finally catching a glimpse of the infamous clumsiness you’re always going on about but never proving?”

“God, I hope not; today’s too important for that.” She chuckled nervously.

“Knowing you, your designs will overshadow any mistakes you might make.”

“Gee, thanks for that,” Marinette replied, her tone flat. She held his gaze for about six seconds before the two burst out laughing.

Adrien stood at the other end of the busy room, watching the two laugh together. Plagg flew out of Adrien’s pants pocket, watching him watch them.

“Looks like your cousin’s trying to steal your girlfriend.”

Adrien sighed. “Plagg, she’s just—“

“Just a friend, I know,” Plagg finished. “Doesn’t mean you’re not jealous.”

“I’m NOT jealous. I’m happy for Felix, really. He doesn’t make friends all that easily; it’s nice to see him laughing openly with somebody.”

“You can be happy for him and still feel a little jealous.”

Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose. “Plagg, I’m telling you I don’t feel that way towards Marinette. You know I love Ladybug; why do you keep pushing me towards Marinette?”

Eyebrows pulled together, Plagg only shook his head before zipping back into Adrien’s pocket. Adrien looked one more time towards Marinette and Felix, feeling a sharp tug inside of him. _It’s not that I like her,_ he insisted to himself, _but things have been a little weird between us lately. Ever since Alya and her grew apart, she doesn’t talk to anyone except him. I just miss laughing with her like that, is all._

He pushed a falling loc of hair back into place as a model with tan skin, deep brown hair, and light brown eyes passed him by. “Oh, there he is!” He heard Marinette call from across the room. His smile brightened, only to fall again when he saw her pointing to the model. “Those pants and belt are my design,” she said to Felix with the widest grin. He eyed the model up and down then smiled.

“Lovely,” said Felix after he finished his assessment. “Marinette, you could enter the industry now if you truly wanted.”

She looked away, a shy smile pulling at her lips. “Oh, I don’t know about that, but thank you.”

“Marinette,” he said, tone sharp. She whipped her head back up. “When have I ever said something I didn’t mean?”

The blush. Oh, the blush that followed that. Adrien looked away, eyes cast down. He couldn’t watch anymore, for some reason.


	5. Part 3.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix has a little crisis :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so here’s something quick and cute that takes place between parts 3 and 4! I wanted to write a little on Felix freaking out about his newfound revelation, but I forgot to write it into part 4, so here it is now! Enjoy :)

_Good God, I like her, don’t I?_

Felix replays that part of his day over and over again, trying to figure what exactly spurred this realization and when he first started feeling this way. Well, he knew what spurred it, but he can’t help beating himself up over the circumstances.

_She was crying in your arms for Gods’ sake. You couldn’t have been a little more sensitive to the situation?_

His nose scrunched at that thought. It’s not like he did it on purpose! He was trying his best to give her the care she needed. But she was so close, so soft… holding her just felt so right. She smelled good, too—

_Stop that! You’re getting distracted again._

So when _did_ he start feeling this way? Was it from the beginning? No, it couldn’t possibly be; he wrote her off like everyone else in the beginning.

_I can’t believe I did that. I’ve never met anyone like her before; what a disservice to her character for me to behave in such a way. Sure, I may not have known any better, but she still didn’t deserve that. So, it wasn’t from the start, but when? Oh hell, does it even matter?_

The more important question remained: what was he going to do about it? How would he handle being around her?

_I can’t let her know. I’ve seen the way she looks at my cousin; I can’t compete. I’ll just treat her as I always do. Yes, that should be fine._

Felix startled from his thoughts as the bell rang. Class was over already? He looked down to see Marinette’s notebook sitting next to his, full of notes. Looking up, he saw Marinette looking at him, a teasing grin resting on her face.

“Here, since you spent the entire class in outer space.” She giggled, eyes crinkling, and Felix’s heart rate picked up.

“U-um yes, thank you Marinette.” He swallowed hard.

_Alright, so it might not be fine._


	6. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix freaks out over a "bad" grade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this one’s a little short too, but fun :) also I looked up the French grading system and from what I’ve gathered, a 13 is about equal to a B+ which is why I picked it, but if anyone who knows the system better finds that inaccurate/unrealistic, please let me know! That’s all, enjoy :)

Felix gaped at the paper in front of him, pupils blown wide. “This can’t be,” he muttered to himself. “I can’t— I won’t believe it.”

“Felix? What’s wrong?” Marinette peered over at his paper and saw a giant “13” scribbled at the top. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re freaking out over a grade.”

“I am not freaking out,” Felix said through clenched teeth. “I’m just appalled that I allowed myself to become so sloppy with my work.”

“Are you kidding me? A 13 is a good grade Felix! What’s there to be upset over?”

“I’ve been homeschooled, and I’ve attended a prestigious private institution. Accounting for the freer grading scale of homeschooling, I’ve still never received less than a 14 in my life.” His eyes darted back to the paper. “God, what is my mom going to think? I can’t show her this.” He now glared at the front of the room. “I’ll bet even my incognizant cousin did better than this; his father has high expectations of him too, after all.”

“Hey whoa Felix, calm down, and don’t take this out on Adrien,” Marinette said with a huff. Her eyes softened at Felix’s still clenched expression. “This really bothers you that much?”

“It pains me every time my eyes fall back to my paper. I am…extremely disappointed in myself.”

“Felix, look at me.” Marinette placed a hand on his arm, finally sparking him to look away from his paper. “Things like this, they happen. It’s a part of life. You can’t expect yourself to do your best every second of every day; it’s just not realistic. You have to make peace with moments like this.” She smiled at him. “One bad grade doesn’t take away from the fact that you’re still the most intelligent kid I know. Besides me, of course.” She stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. “And I’ve gotten way worse grades than that, so you really have nothing to worry about.”

Finally, a bit of the tension resting in his shoulders began to dissolve, lines clearing from his forehead. “Perhaps you’re right. I know my intelligence; receiving one 13 won’t turn me into Kim.”

Shock filled Marinette’s expression for an instant before she was overcome with giggles. “A little harsh, but that’s the spirit.” Her smile dropped as she noticed the devious smirk taking over Felix’s face. “What?”

“Marinette, what grade did you receive on the quiz?”

“I got a 13, too. Why?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“Nothing, I just remembered that it was the notes you lent me that I studied from for this quiz.” His grin grew wider while she processed, then realized what he was insinuating.

“Hey! Don’t blame me for this!” Felix burst into laughter as Marinette pouted. “My note-taking skills are just fine, thank you very much. God,” she huffed, “you try to do something nice, and this is what you get. Fine. See if I ever lend you notes again.”

“We both know you’d do it again in a heartbeat without even being asked.” Now Marinette smirked.

“What? Planning on spacing out again, Felix?”

He grimaced at the memory, recalling exactly what it was that distracted him. The slightest blush began to color his cheeks, but before Marinette could ask, a ruler snapped at the front of the room.

“If you two are quite finished,” Mme. Mendeleiev said, “I still have a lesson to continue.”

The class laughed as the two looked away. “Sorry, _professeur_.”


	7. Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir have a little run-in with a civilian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh! This one’s a longer one, and the writing feels a little stiff in places, but I always feel like that whenever I write anything that isn’t straight fluff lol. Other than that, I really like how this turned out! Enjoy :)

“Great, akumas with flames. I knew this day was bound to happen,” Chat Noir rolled his eyes as he dodged blasts of blue fire from its fists.

“You really think we’d be that lucky?” Ladybug threw her yo-yo and swung away.

“I thought with you here, luck was always by my side,” Chat joked, pausing a moment to catch Ladybug’s reaction before lunging toward the fiery akuma.

“Wait, Chat! You don’t even know where the akuma is hiding!” She pinched between her eyebrows and sighed. His flirting and rash decisions used to be endearing, but now Ladybug just found them thoughtless. It almost seemed as though Chat had no regard for her nor the strategy it requires to take down an akuma. Just because she came up with a plan on the spot doesn’t mean she rushed in without thinking, but apparently Chat thinks that that’s all it takes.

Sure enough, the akumatized victim dodged him with ease, turning to the left and blasting at Chat Noir with flames from its right fist. He just barely dodged the attack, barreling onto the roof of a nearby building. Huffing, he got ready to plunge forward again, but the akuma already switched its focus from the mangy cat to a familiar-looking civilian strolling nearby. Wait, actually, he looks really familiar. Gray vest, black pants, pale blonde hair… it almost looks like—

“Felix!” Ladybug cried, tackling him out of the path of the akuma’s flames. “What the hell are you doing out here, didn’t you see the—“ she paused when she noticed the position she was in. Straddling the young man, face inches from his, she swiftly pulled herself up and away from him, red flush peeking from underneath her mask. She looked away as she extended a hand and helped him up.

Though Felix had no blush, he couldn’t meet her eyes, either. “My apologies, Ladybug; I noticed that there were no civilians in the area, but I didn’t think anything of it.”

She placed a hand on his arm, smile warm. “That’s okay, just be more careful next time. Now, let’s get you somewhere safe.”

At that moment, Chat Noir pounced down in the alleyway next to them. “My Lady! What are you doing?! I’m holding the akuma down as best I can, dodging flames left and right, laying my _life_ on the line for you; I had to trick the guy into thinking I fell into the Seine just to get away from him, and you’re sitting here flirting with a civilian? I can’t believe you’d do this right in front of me! Don’t you respect my feelings at all?!”

“Chat, I, of course I do!” Felix took note of Ladybug’s hand still on his arm, but protective now, coupled with her wide eyes and shallow breaths. “I was just getting him out of danger!”

Chat Noir scoffed. “It looks like you’re doing a lot more than that. I can’t believe you. It’s one thing to hear you turn me down over and over again, but it’s another thing entirely to see you messing around with another guy in the middle of a battle. You—“

“Should be ashamed of your behavior.” Ladybug deflated at Felix’s words, while a triumphant smirk took over Chat Noir’s expression.

“See! Even the civilian knows what I’m talking about!”

“That was directed at you, Chat Noir.” Both of the heroes blinked in surprise. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on here, but I do know that Ladybug did nothing here but admonish me for not fleeing the akuma scene and reassure me that she would escort me to safety. There was no flirting of any kind. Furthermore, your idea of ‘laying your life on the line’ involves rushing senselessly into battle with no plan of action. Of course your life is on the line; if you do not think through your strategy, then you are bound to be beaten.

Chat Noir’s brows knit together, lips pursed, but just as he was about to start yelling, Felix held up a hand and continued. “As for the part that I do not know, according to your own words, it seems you are the one who refuses to respect feelings.”

“Okay, I was going to tell you to stay out of it, but now you’re just spewing nonsense.” Chat’s tail flicked in irritation. “I have nothing but respect for Ladybug; she’s the one who hurts me every time I confess my love, telling me she doesn’t feel the same way.”

“And it seems that every time, you refuse to listen or take her feelings into consideration.” Felix stood up now, ignoring the flames around them, and walked over to meet Chat eye-to-eye. “If she is the one you claim to love and respect so much, then she should only have to say no once. Take her answer at face value, instead of trying to read into things to suit your own narrative. She isn’t interested in you romantically, and at this point, you’re probably pushing her away platonically as well. As much as it hurts to have your feelings rejected, it also hurts to have your feelings ignored, which is what I presume is happening on Ladybug’s end.”

“I…” Chat paused. Is that true? Had he really been ignoring her feelings this whole time? “But we’re meant to be,” tumbled out of his mouth before he realized it.

“I think it takes two people to make that decision.” Felix eyed the akuma with growing stress. “Now, if you are finally out of your rash headspace, then may I suggest you return to the battle at hand? Oh, and perhaps think through your attacks a little more carefully, so that you don’t put your partner under even more unnecessary stress.”

Chat glowered at Felix, but turned towards Ladybug with his eyes to the ground. “I never thought about things from your side, My Lady. If what this guy’s saying is true, then I truly am sorry I made you feel this way.”

Ladybug bit her lip; it was going to take a lot more than that, but now wasn’t the time. “Thank you for apologizing, Chat. This doesn’t fix everything between us, but it’s a start. I’m sure you want to hear everything coming from me instead of…” she looked over to Felix, appearing unsure.

“My apologies. My name is Felix, and I didn’t mean to speak on your behalf.”

“It’s fine; I appreciate it, really.” She turned back to Chat Noir. “I’m sure you want to hear this from me and not just Felix, but we have a battle to get back to. We’ll talk more about this later. Please handle the akuma while I get Felix out of here.”

A curt nod from Chat and he was back in action. Meanwhile, Ladybug wrapped an arm around Felix and swung the two away from the scene of action. Landing a good five blocks away, she set Felix down and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you for everything you said back there. I’ve tried telling him before, but he wasn’t really hearing it from me. You’re very straightforward but also eloquent; maybe if I were as clear as you, he would have gotten the message.”

Felix hummed. “Maybe, but I wouldn’t count on that. Don’t blame yourself in this situation, Ladybug; that cat couldn’t see past his own emotions. If you guys are as close partners as he seems to think you are, then he should have been understanding from the start.” He sighed. “At least he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t be reasoned with. I wish you two the best in repairing your partnership.”

Ladybug tried not to tear up. “Thank you; that means a lot to me.” She averted her eyes, not wanting to say what else was on her mind.

“But…?”

She exhaled. “But it worries me that someone like you who’s never met me before could see how uncomfortable I was, but the guy I trust my life to every day couldn’t.”

Felix’s eyes softened. “I don’t consider myself to be exceptionally perceptive, but it seems I find more and more evidence that most people tend not to pick up on the feelings of those around them, whether or not they are close. I’ve seen it with my own parents, and ever since I started attending public school, I’ve seen it happen with a very kindhearted girl who is, quite frankly, the last person I know to deserve such treatment.”

Ladybug blushed at that, though Felix couldn’t figure out why. “I’m sorry to hear about your friend; I hope the best for her. At least she has a good friend like you to be there for her. She’s very lucky.”

Now Felix blushed too, coughing in an attempt to cover it up. “I would argue that I am the lucky one of the two of us, but I appreciate your sentiment, Ladybug.” They heard a crash in the distance.

“Okay, now I’ve really got to get back into battle. Take care Felix, and thanks again for today.” With a final nod, she launched her yoyo and swung away.


	8. Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix grows a pair I guess lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the last short part; from this point forward, they’re going to be a little more drawn out! Let me know if you still want them posted here first, or if you’d rather they go directly onto ao3! I know it can be annoying to scroll past mega long posts, so I’m happy to do it whichever way best suits everyone :)  
(Ok so the chapter notes r always pulled from the original post on Tumblr, so I'm swooping in to say that from here on out, every part will be uploaded directly onto ao3. Sorry to everyone who has to come here from Tumblr, but the upcoming parts are going to be like actual chapter length, and I don't want to clog anyone's feed.)  
From here on out, the posts will be longer and more developed. This is where the decision to turn this series of one shots into a fit took over, so get excited for longer chapters!!!! The only downside is that it will take longer to post; I'm currently working on the next chapter, and it probably won't be ready for another few days or even a week. I hope y'all stay posted anyway :')

Felix tried his hardest to hide it, but Marinette couldn’t ignore the fidgeting going on next to her all lunch. It was slight, but coming from the otherwise still boy, it spoke volumes. Towards the end of the period, she decided to finally address his suffering. 

“Hey Felix, everything alright? You seem kind of antsy?” 

“Me? Antsy?” Felix scoffed. “I am nothing of the sort.” Marinette’s eyes darted down to his suppressed-jiggling knee, and Felix sighed. “Hmm. Perhaps I do have something on my mind.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “‘Perhaps’?” Felix turned his head away, nose in the air. “Oh come on, I’m just messing with you.” She redirected his eyes back to her. “You know whatever it is you have to say, I’ll listen.” 

That didn’t make matters any easier on him. He gulped. “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the book store later today. We could hang out outside of school hours, as it seems other kids our age do.”

Immediately, Marinette lit up. “Yes! Yay! I’ve been wanting to hang, but I didn’t want to push you to do something you’re not comfortable with.”

“Oh, that’s very considerate of you. This isn’t something I’m used to, but I don’t think it will be an uncomfortable experience. Not if it’s with you.” Felix realized his choice of words when Marinette’s eyes bugged out, and he tried to cover ground. “O-of course, what I meant by that is that I’ve never had friends that were more than a formality or a business connection; if I had, I’m sure I would’ve found the pleasure others do in normal social activities.”

Marinette appeared a little deflated for a moment, then swiftly recovered. “You’ve never had a real friend before?”

“Not counting my own mother and Adrien when we were younger, no. I don’t think so.”

Marinette grabbed his hand. “Then we’re going to have to do more than just go to the bookstore! What else do you enjoy? The Seine? The Louvre? Cafes? You seem like a cafe kind of guy; well, the quiet ones, anyway.” She giggled. “I can see you getting grumpy right away at a crowded cafe.”

Felix’s face burned, painfully trying to ignore the touch of Marinette’s hand over his own. “A quiet cafe sounds splendid.” He exhaled as she took her hand off of his, closing it into a fist and pumping it in the air.

“Then it’s settled! We’ll walk through the park to the bookstore, then head to a quiet cafe afterwards. This is going to be so fun!”

“Really? It’s not too boring for you? I thought with your energy, you might want to do something a little more fast-paced or interesting.”

“It’s not boring if it’s what you like, Felix. I’m just happy to hang out with you; whatever we do, it’ll be a good time.” Her lips pulled upward in the softest smile.

“Ah, r-right. Well then, I look forward to this afternoon.”

“Me too.”


	9. Part 8.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Felix finally hang out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO this took foreverrrrr bc I was in a creative block for awhile, also I have hella shit going on in my life, and this turned out way longer than I expected. Because of that, we are getting the first third of their hang out! I'm not sure yet whether I will post the other two-thirds together, or if this will require three separate updates. It all depends on how the writing cuts; this happened to end on a decent stopping point, and I was itching to update, so here we are.  
This is the first upload to go directly onto here, rather than posting to Tumblr first! In addition, it's the beginning of me taking this series more in-depth; for any first time readers, it will be a very clear line of where I decided to go from fluffy one shots to full-blown fic.  
AND because of that transition, the writing might feel a little stiff! I'm used to little scenes regarding them, so I had a bit of trouble fleshing things out while retaining their voices, adding Marinette's pov, and trying not be redundant in phrasing and sentence structure and all that. But ummmmm fingers crossed it's still good!  
Alright, enough rambling. Enjoy! <3
> 
> WAIT ONE MORE THING this part's a little heavy; I've never given a trigger warning before but there's mentions of child abuse here, so if that's not something you want to read here's your warning!

The final bell rang, and Felix released the smile he held back all day. Not wanting to appear overeager, he tried his best to concentrate on the curriculum, but he realized he may need to borrow Marinette’s notes once more.

Looking her way, she shot him a grin to match his own. His breath caught for probably the 17th time that day. He couldn’t help himself; Marinette wore her hair down in loose waves today, and it was just as mesmerizing as the first time he saw it at the fashion show. _I didn’t know she was going to wear her hair down today,_ he thought. _I should have dressed up more; I’m no match for her._ Felix bit his lip. _Stop that! This isn’t a date; it would look suspicious if you dressed for the occasion when there is none._ Realizing he’d been staring for awhile, he shook these thoughts away and cleared his throat.

“Are you ready to go, Marinette?”

“Yes!” She linked her arm with his, ignoring the looks she got from some of her classmates. She was more than used to it by now; in fact, she felt kind of surprised they still paid any attention to her at all. “Come on Felix, let’s get to the park.”

They waited for the crowd to file out of the front entrance before going, not wanting to be smushed in anywhere near their classmates. Once outside, a gentle breeze met them, rustling the grass blades below. The sun semi-greeted them, part of it hidden away behind a giant cloud. Despite that, the sky was fairly clear and the temperature inviting.

“Wow,” Marinette breathed, “we couldn’t have asked for better weather.” Her even-present smile grew even wider. “Perfect for the park.”

The walk over was comfortable. A little quiet at first, but Felix enjoyed that. Most people couldn’t handle silence, always itching with a need to fill it, but from what he could tell, Marinette didn’t seem to mind. And when she broke it, that seemed natural, too, rather than out of a squirming need to fill the air with sound.

“So, do you have any siblings? Any hobbies besides reading and modeling? You never really tell me much about yourself.”

Felix hummed for a moment. Thinking back, he really couldn’t remember sharing much about himself. They teased each other, talked about school assignments, discussed fashion, but never really shared more than that. _How odd. She knows me better than most people, yet she hardly knows me at all._

“I’m an only child, but I have cousins I grew up with such as Adrien. And I wouldn’t really consider modeling a hobby as much as it is just business. Not that I mind it, since it makes my mom really happy, but I wouldn’t have chosen it myself.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Marinette giggled. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t really seem like the model type.”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, you’re interested in fashion, sure, but I can’t picture you enjoying putting yourself up on display for strangers. I know you value your privacy.”

Felix wrinkled his nose. “Yes, that’s probably the aspect that bothers me the most, being in the public eye.”

“I figured. So, no siblings, huh? Me neither. I used to want an older sister, but honestly my mom gives me just as good advice as I figure an older sister would.” She smiles warmly. “You’ll have to meet her soon. My dad, too. They’re a little embarrassing, but they’ll love you. Though they’re going to try to feed you a lot of stuff from the bakery; I can already hear my mom fretting about how thin you are.”

Felix looked out at the passing trees, a fond smile on his face. “That sounds nice. It seems like your mom would get along well with my own.”

“They definitely have to meet someday, then!”

“Agreed.”

“What kind of music do you like?” Marinette looked sideways at him. “I don’t see you as a Jagged fan, but then again I love him, and I don’t really look like a lot of his fan base.”

Again, the abrupt change of topic didn’t bother Felix. How did Marinette do that? “Jagged? I’m not sure who that is. I mostly listen to classical music, though.”

Marinette gaped at the declaration. “You don’t know who Jagged Stone is?! Not a fan, sure, but you’ve really never heard his name before?”

“Oh, him.” Felix’s face puckered. “I’m familiar with the name. Not enough to know that’s who you were referring to shorthand, but I’m not a complete shut-in. Yes, he’s not really to my tastes.” He took in Marinette’s shocked stare. “I-I’m sure I could give him another chance, though.”

She shook her head. “No, no, you don’t have to fake your interests for me. Seriously.” She made sure he was looking in her eyes. “Don’t water down your opinions. You’re wrong, of course, but I want you to feel free to express your views whenever you’re around me.”

“Thank you Marinette, I appreciate that. Although, I’d say you’re in the wrong here. How anyone could listen to that noise is beyond me.” Felix smirked at Marinette’s gape. _She’s cute when she’s flustered,_ he thought. _What was I thinking, trying to appease her interests; it’s way more fun to get her riled up._

Lost in his thoughts, he missed the rant Marinette was reaching the tail end of. “… Even your cousin loves him! Mr. Squeaky-Clean has a wild side to him, too.”

Felix wrinkled his nose as the two passed the cousin in question, posing in the park for yet another spring photoshoot. A few fangirls littered the grass around him, but not too many; it was nearing the end of the season, and most girls got their fill of him by now. Still, a good amount covered the space surrounding the makeshift studio in front of the fountain.

Turning towards Marinette, he couldn’t help but frown at the wistful look she shot his cousin’s way. Maybe it’s the disappointment in her eyes, or maybe it’s the one-on-one time pushing him forward, but something gives him the strength to breach this topic. So he does.

“May I ask what it is you see in him?” Marinette blinked, turning towards him with wide eyes. “Despite his polite demeanor, he’s not the most compassionate guy. He means well, but his passivity wins out in the end, and he’s not there for you when you need him. You’ve seen that firsthand, and I’ve seen you stick by your morals no matter the consequences. What draws you to Adrien?”

Marinette took in a deep breath and sighed. “I spent a long time seeing what I wanted to in him. I actually started off with a pretty bad impression of Adrien. I knew him as Chloe’s friend, and when I walked in the room that first day he came here, he was scraping gum off my seat. I thought he placed it there, though, so I kinda yelled at him and left. It was only later when we were alone that I listened to him.” She smiled at the memory. “He explained how he was new and didn’t really know how to make friends, that he was trying to clean up what Chloe did, and then he lent me his umbrella. It was really sweet, and it stuck with me.

“After that, I’d say I got wrapped up in him. Gabriel is one of my favorite designers, and I was obsessed with seeing Adrien at photoshoots. I think the problem was that I was equal parts a fangirl and friend. That, the polite thing you mentioned, and… other feelings made it hard to see the parts of him that weren’t so great.” Her brow knit, and her lips pressed together while she kept walking, trying to figure out how she wanted to tell the rest. As dissatisfied as she was with his behavior lately, she didn’t want to paint him as a bad guy, but she wanted to share with someone who knew him and wouldn’t jump to conclusions just because it was her speaking about him. Glancing up at Felix’s steady expression, she found that in him, so she pressed forward.

“He once lectured me because I was happy about Chloe moving to New York. At the time, I thought it was noble of him, sticking up for her even with all the awful she’s done. It wasn’t until the thing with Lila that I finally started to think through it.” She fidgeted, fingers twitching. “I get why he stuck up for Chloe, really. I mean, I took it too far, and I wish I didn’t say some of the things I said, but when I thought about it, I realized he never really stood up for anyone else. There was one time that Chloe gave Juleka so much shit on picture day, and he never stopped to tell her she was taking it too far. Or when Kim confessed to Chloe, and she made fun of him for it. That was low, even for her, and still Adrien said nothing. 

“Then, I thought about my situation with him. He apologized about that first day privately, and maybe he lectured Chloe privately, but I doubt it. And again, it was in private that he encouraged me not to expose Lila. Said he was in my corner or whatever, but any time she fucked with me in front of the class, he just watched it happen. He never said a word. I knew what it meant to stay quiet; I didn’t expect him to blurt the truth in moments like those, but it would have been nice if he said something in my defense or acted on his claim in any way.”

She sighed. “Even with all of that, I can’t tell if I’m mad at him or not. Hurt, yes, but I’m not sure I can bring myself to be angry. He didn’t have bad intentions; he never has. He’s done a lot of good for me, too. I think he’s just navigating friendships as best he knows how. It doesn’t excuse shit, but I can see where he’s coming from. Mostly, I just hate that our friendship isn’t—no, can’t be the same anymore. I can’t count on him to be there for me when it counts, not the way I thought I could.

“God, I’m so sorry for going off like that; I guess it bothered me more than I realized.” Marinette looked away, lips pursing again, before turning back with a weak smile. Throughout the whole rant, Felix met her with an even gaze, listening earnestly. Still, she didn’t think he wanted to hear everything she put out there.

Felix put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder, effectively stopping her. “Don’t apologize. Like you said to me, I want you to be able to say how you feel around me. I am not the best with feelings, but I am grateful you can trust me enough to say all of that. Especially with your past friendships; I haven’t gone through half of what you’ve experienced, yet the only people I trust are my mom and you.” Marinette’s cheeks pinked at that. “Also, I can understand the difficulty of frustration paired with admiration. My opinions regarding my cousin are also… complex.”

“You did mention earlier that you guys used to be close. What happened there?” Marinette reached for Felix’s hand and closed her fingers around it with tender care. “If it’s not too personal to discuss, that is. Whatever you’re comfortable with sharing.”

Felix ignored the heat on his face, pinching the skin between his eyebrows and sighing. “It’s not too much, but I don’t think I’ve ever discussed it out loud, not even with my mom. Yes, Adrien and I used to be close. We grew up together; both mine and his parents were prosperous in related industries. His father and my mother in fashion, and my father on the business side of things. His mother modeled for Gabriel, too, when she wasn’t acting. We were often left with Nathalie, but sometimes we tagged along with his mother or my own while they worked. My father couldn’t be bothered about anything; as long as I kept out of his way, I was free to do whatever I pleased. And Gabriel was a lot softer when Emilie was around, so he allowed Adrien these outings.”

Marinette swore she saw a flash of a smile on Felix’s face, but it left too quickly for her to be sure it was real. “We would play hide and seek in the clothing racks, wrinkling pieces that cost thousands of Euros, much to the annoyance of nearly everyone in production. But we didn’t care; we were normal children at the time.

“I always found Adrien right away. He would pout and claim it wasn’t fair, but I knew he loved it. If I ever took longer than a few minutes, he complained or panicked, so I could tell he wanted to be found. Myself, on the other hand… well, he could never find me. I hid well and stayed silent. It took him ten minutes or more most of the time, and occasionally he’d wail and give up altogether.

“We did a lot of things that feel so foreign now. We played pranks on Nathalie, or we mocked Gabriel to her when he wasn’t looking, putting on a stern face and repeating words we didn’t even know the meaning of at the time. Whoever made her laugh won, and when Gabriel turned around, we’d both look preoccupied, which only made her laugh more sometimes. We also held a lot of sleepovers; our other cousins had parents with more ‘normal’ careers, so they attended public school. We still saw them frequently, but not as much as with each other; that, paired with being only children and close in age, made my bonds with him tighter than any other cousin.

“He’s always been sweet; I can attribute that to Emilie. She was an angel that near rivaled my own mom. Gabriel, on the other hand, is most likely why Adrien never knew how to handle anything. His stern, cold approach to anyone other than Emilie and Adrien contradicted Emilie’s lessons on how to care for others. As a child, it’s difficult to possess the kind of discernment needed to see why one parent’s approach was better than the other’s. You just believe both; why wouldn’t you?”

Felix let out a dry laugh. “I mean, I never believed my father, but he never even feigned kindness; Gabriel’s love for his son is ill-handled yet genuine. I was jealous, without a doubt, and I took that out on Adrien in some ways. I’d provoke him at times for no reason other than to see what he would do. Sometimes I’d see a flash of irritation on his face, but mostly he’d smile and attempt to calm me down. He wanted to make you feel better, but he never wanted his own feelings to show. Not if they weren’t positive. He took his mother’s genuine attitude and used it as a facade in place of his father’s harshness. I’m sure he thought that the same as genuine positivity.

“It wasn’t just with me, either; he never knew how to intervene. If our other cousins were fighting, he’d try to point out the good on both sides. He could never address the bad; I’m sure half the time he didn’t even understand the conflict itself. Simply knowing there was a conflict sent him into a panic to smooth things over. It’s an admirable trait to see the good in everyone; you share that with him. You, however, have a much stronger foundation than him and seek to resolve the issue rather than diffuse feelings.

“It irritated me, this passivity of his, but that was all. I mean, what was I to do about it? He was my closest friend, and we were children. It was nothing more than an unsavory character trait.” Felix stopped. Took a breath. “Until we were about ten, anyway.”

“What happened?” Marinette’s hand remained closed around his own, thumb stroking the back of his hand softly. He focused on that while he told the rest, letting her be the anchor she’s been for him since they met.

“My dad was never a good man, but he never hit me either until around that time.” He heard Marinette draw in a sharp breath and squeezed her hand. “My mother had a very lucrative business meeting that I couldn’t accompany her for, and Nathalie had the day off due to illness. Emilie was on set for a film in Germany, which left me with my father. I didn’t trust him, but I wasn’t around him enough to know to fear him, so throughout the day I would grumble about how boring things were and throw my opinion in on certain designs here and there. His partners would chuckle. He would shush me. Then nothing more.

“At one point in the day, we were alone in his office. No partners, no assistants, no managers. I think he wanted some quiet, just for a few minutes, and I wish I had the foresight to realize that at the time. All I asked was what was next on the agenda, but he snapped. Shoved me against the wall and punched the space right next to my head. He told me, ‘If you disrupt me one more time today, I won’t hit the wall next time.’

“I stayed quiet for as long as I could, but at some point I had to use the restroom. I figured a simple request such as that should be fine; it’s a function everyone has to do. With a sigh, he let me go. I thought that was the end of that.

“When we were alone again, he didn’t hit me the way I thought he would. He threatened a punch to the face, but he shoved my face into his desk. Told me to never disrespect him like that again, and that if my mother asked, I was being too rambunctious and ran into his desk. Something believable. He didn’t tell me what to say if anyone else asked; he probably thought no one else cared enough to.

“Adrien cared. In his own way, he always has. He asked me, and I told him. He was horrified, but it was his advice that horrifies me now.”

Marinette sounded pained as she took a guess. “He wanted you to keep quiet.” Felix nodded.

“His logic was that I shouldn’t provoke my father any further, and that in telling my mom, he might hit her, too. Which was a valid point, I’ll give him that; the same fear crossed my mind, and with his reinforcement, it grew stronger. He told me he wouldn’t tell anyone, either, and that whenever it happened, I could come talk to him. He would be there for me. With his reassurance, I kept quiet for awhile, enduring hits here and there, covering them up as accidents. I was a preteen; I was getting rowdy and defiant as children that age do. I tripped in my haste, I hit a stage light while modeling… the excuses went on, thinning with each ‘accident.’

“Finally, my mom caught on. She couldn’t believe her quiet, studious son was up to that much mischief, so she pulled me aside one day. As fearful as I was, I told her the truth; I was too exhausted to lie to her about it any more.

“I’ll never forget the way she cried; that almost broke my heart as much as the thought of my father hitting her, which he never did. That same day, she filed for divorce and a restraining order. She didn’t even think twice about it.

“I left her alone to deal with paperwork; I didn’t want her to see how livid I was. I didn’t want to explain about what Adrien advised me to do; I placed enough blame on him for the both of us. All this time, I put up with my father’s abuse, thinking staying quiet was the best option. I could have told my mom from the beginning and ended things there, but I chose to listen to Adrien. Who didn’t even listen to me, as he claimed he would. It was around that time that his father began to set him up with a ton of extracurriculars, and we rarely saw each other anymore. When I tried to come to him, he was at fencing practice, or Chinese lessons, or a photoshoot, or a runway, or wherever else.

“Prior obligations could not be dropped for me; I understood that. Especially with a father as demanding as Gabriel. He never checked up, though. Not after practice or lessons, while he was sat in his room doing homework. He shot me an apology message when I tried texting him, but never followed up once his obligations were over. He didn’t care, or he didn’t know how, but that made no difference to me. All I saw was my closest friend ignoring me.

“I didn’t lash out at him; I never saw him enough to get that chance. Instead, I chose to ignore him. I couldn’t make his passivity my problem any longer, and any attempts at friendliness would be nothing be feigned on my end, so I didn’t waste my energy. I maintained my distance and kept our interactions cold, so he would know where we stood. Except, I don’t think he ever got it. He probably assumed our busy schedules drove us apart, and that in that time I just changed as per the natural order of life. No cause, no reason. I became an ‘asshole’ simply because I chose to be one.”

Felix turned towards Marinette. “When you told me about your situation with Lila and Adrien’s involvement in it, I couldn’t help but notice the familiarity of it all. I assumed he hadn’t changed, but I acknowledged that I no longer knew him and might be wrong in that assumption. It pains me to know I was right, and that he was pulling the garbage on someone as kind as you. Not only that, but with you as his friend, I would expect your influence to rub off on him in some way, as it has on me. But Adrien… he hasn’t learned a goddamned thing.”

Marinette found more hurt in Felix’s eyes than she had ever seen before, but still his movements were so calm. He didn’t grip her hand, nor were his breaths shallow. He just looked forward without another word. She squeezed his hand once more, and turned back to look at the fountain, now very far off in the distance. “No,” she said in the smallest voice. “He hasn’t.”


	10. Part 8.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second third of their hang out! They visit the book store, Felix and Marinette nerd out a little bit in their respective interests, and Marinette *Kylie Jenner voice* realizes things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry it took a minute; I've had a friend visiting, so all my attention was on her :) But I'm back! Part 8.3 should reach you sooner than this one did. And sorry if the writing feels a little detached or something; my brain's super scattered recently bc my focus is currently pulled in about five different directions w shit going on in my life lol  
Also! I hate to do this, but I'm in a realllllyyyy tight financial spot right now, and I'm scared I won't be able to afford my bills this Sunday. You guys are never obligated to do anything like this, but if you could, please consider donating to my ko-fi account or dm-ing me on Tumblr for my PayPal. My name on ko-fi is **ciaraangelyn,** and for those of u who aren't from Tumblr, my Tumblr is **lilbugwrites.** I've got some money that should be coming in from tutoring, but due to the hurricane (I live in Florida), I might not see my student this week. So I'm just in a really tight bind right now and appreciate all the help I can get!  
If you can't afford anything (perfectly understandable), then I have a post on Tumblr that I'd really appreciate you all reblogging!  
Okay that's all, sorry to bother and thanks so much for your help!
> 
> OH WAIT. Idk if this is necessary information to divulge, but I definitely made that designer up! lol. I'm a casual fan of fashion, but idk any technicalities of it! I was trying to find an actual high-end designer to add something more realistic to that moment, but I couldn't find anyone to match Marinette's dialogue, and I didn't want to throw just any Chinese heritage designer in there bc that'd be super disrespectful lol. ok fr that's all

The bookstore provided an airy break from the heavy atmosphere of the conversation during the stroll. Marinette chose this bookstore because of it was in walking distance, but she hadn’t actually been here in years. She forgot the magic that this particular store held. From the maroon carpeting, the old yet clean shelves, and the owners’ cat roaming the small aisles, she felt very welcome and at ease here. Peering over at Felix, she hoped he felt the same.

“This place…”

“Yeah?” Marinette kept her gaze, holding her breath.

Felix smiled. “It’s warm.”

“Ah, you feel it, too!” She squealed. “I love it in here; it’s so cozy.”

“Agreed. It’s out of the way for me, but I’ll have to make a note to come back here from time to time.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. What kinda books are you looking for, by the way? This place is a little hectic, but I’d be happy to help you find…” Marinette trailed off as her eyes landed on a display of fashion books. “Ooh, I’ve been looking for this everywhere!” She picked up one the heftier books on display and opened it, completely lost to the world of fashion.

Felix chuckled and walked off. He’d let her have her moment; he could use one, too, after that walk. He had never shared that story before, not with anyone who wasn’t family. And that was more out of obligation; they were bound to find out either way, so he might as well be the one to tell them, but with Marinette… that was the first time he’d done so willingly and without intending to. It fit the conversation, and he… well, he never felt the need to hold back around her. She told him as much, but they were discussing music tastes at the time, not well-kept family drama.

He knew she meant it for everything, though. With the way she reached for his hand when the subject matter became more difficult to talk about, he knew she cared.

His face warmed as he remembered her touch. They really held hands the rest of the way over, hadn’t they? He hardly noticed in the moment; that, like everything, only felt natural.

_No, don’t get used to that. She doesn’t feel the same way about you; she only held your hand because she’s a caring person. It doesn’t mean the same thing for her… does it?_ He glanced around the aisle back to where she stood, face still buried in the fashion book. _No, I don’t think it does. She may not hold the affection for Adrien that I originally thought she did, but that doesn’t mean she sees me that way. Sure, we held hands, but I could picture her doing that for any friend who would confide in her. It’s nothing more than a testament to her compassion._

Dammit, he had a knack for getting lost in his thoughts around her. By the time he came out of it, he realized she was heading his way. He tried to look preoccupied with the selection in front of him, as if he hadn’t been staring in her direction for the past couple minutes, and groaned. Of course he was in the philosophers’ section; luck wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m surprised you don’t have an armload of books by this point,” she teased when she arrived. “Then again, you’ve probably read half this store’s selection. What’s caught your eye so far?” She peered over his shoulder. “Camus? Wow. I knew you were a thinker, but that’s a lot for a _collégien_."

Felix wrinkled his nose. “No, I’m not particularly a fan of his, or any European philosopher for that matter.” Marinette peered at him curiously. “They aren’t the first people to develop their respective schools of thought; they just had the power and privilege to widespread such ideas to the public. Individuals around the world have questioned the nature of being, but because someone such as Camus is an educated European man with the prestige and resources to publicize his thoughts, he gets the credit?”

“I… wow. I don’t really think on these things that much.”

Felix cringed at his admission. “Yes, sorry. I know I should probably be ‘acting my age’ and not ruminating on who owns the intellectual rights to absurdism and nihilism and the like.”

“No, don’t apologize.” She smiled, a mix of admiration and endearment taking over her features. “Everyone has their passions; yours is knowledge. Most people would think themselves smart just because they’re interested in philosophy, but you take it a step further, thinking about how culture and stuff affects these things. That’s… amazing, really.”

“Yes, well…” Felix’s face burned, and he coughed. “Thank you, Marinette.” Searching for a distraction, he eyed the hefty book in her hands. “Have you decided to purchase that one, then?”

“Oh, yeah!” Marinette grinned sheepishly. “I just meant to look through it a little, but it reeled me in. It’s pricy, just like I thought it’d be, but it’s more than worth it.”

“Who’s featured?”

“Amélie Chen; it’s for the upcoming season.”

“Ah, I’m not too familiar with her work, even though I’ve modeled her menswear a few times before.”

“I adore her!” Beaming, Marinette flipped through the pages to the ready-to-wear looks. “I love how she takes classic silhouettes from our culture and modernizes them; it stands out from the average blouse-and-pants look in the best way. It’s not too out there, just the perfect blend of old and new traditions, while still looking high-fashion. I think that’s the best part of it for me; even though there are a lot of Chinese designers out there doing the same thing, it looks costume-y most of the time. Like, it almost feels like they’re making fun of the past, twisting it and exaggerating it for the sake of fashion. There’s a lack of respect, and a lot of the stuff ends up looking like what Chinese people wear in American movies; it comes off like a stereotype. Amélie… she just makes it look like clothing, something you’d see people on the street wearing, not someone on a movie set. I’d love to do something similar with my own clothing line, someday… ah, but I’m rambling too much. That’s so far off into the future.” She gave a half-hearted chuckle, waving her hand in front of her. “Bottom line, I really admire her work.”

Felix eyed the pages once more, a new admiration blossoming in him for both the designer on the page and the one in front of him. “Yes, well, it seems I should familiarize myself with her brand, if you think so highly of her. May I?” He gestured toward the book in front of them, and when Marinette nodded, he grabbed it. Instead of flipping through the pages, however, he walked towards the checkout counter, grabbing another copy of the book as he passed by the display once more. Marinette gaped as he proceeded to purchase both copies.

“Felix, I- I didn’t know you were asking to buy it for me! I just thought you wanted to look through it some more.”

“I do, which is why I picked up a copy for myself as well. As you saw, I hadn’t picked out anything of my own, and I hate to leave a bookstore empty-handed.”

“Thank you, Felix.”

“It’s no trouble.” He averted his eyes. “Think of it as my first investment into your future career as a designer.”

Marinette snorted. “That’s a funny way to think of it, but sure.”

“I’m serious, Marinette. With your talent, your passion, and your professionalism, you should really consider putting in the effort to pursue fashion now.” He grabbed the books, and the two made their way out of the bookstore and towards the cafe.

“I wish I could, but I’ve got too many… other commitments.” Felix raised an eyebrow and Marinette cringed, making a mental note to come up with a better excuse later. She couldn’t just keep telling people she had other commitments without actually answering what those were, and she knew Felix would be sharp enough to ask her about it eventually.

“I do what I can when I have time for it, though. I’ve won a design contest that Gabriel held last year, and through some lucky circumstances I ended up designing a pair of sunglasses and an album cover for Jagged Stone. I also have the designs from the fashion event I saw you at last month, so I’ve at least got those few things to add to my portfolio.”

“‘At least?’ Marinette, that is a wonderful start; I can’t think of anyone else our age with names that big in their portfolio.”

She tried hiding her blush. “Really, it was a lot of luck that I got to add Jagged Stone to the mix, but thank you. I think next year I’ll be able to make more of an effort, though, since I probably won’t run for class rep again.” She sighed, the thought of running in circles to please Lila and everyone else already exhausting her.

“Why did you do it in the first place? Not to accuse you of being bad at it; you’re the most competent person in class for that job, but it doesn’t seem like you enjoy it all that much.” 

“It started with Chloe; she’s been class rep every year for as long as I’ve known her, and I bet you can tell what kind of class rep she is.”

Felix snorted. “Yes, I can imagine.”

“I was sick of her bossing everyone around and never doing anything to actually better the class, and everyone else was too afraid or too busy to go against her, so I ran. I liked it at first, don’t get me wrong, but with Lila back in class, it feels like I’m running a circus. She comes up with all of these ‘helpful suggestions’ that the whole class backs her on, yet always has a lie for why she can’t help out. On top of that, she deflects whenever I try to delegate tasks to other students, insisting that they’re too busy with band practice or an upcoming tournament or whatever else. I end up doing whatever project she comes up with all on my own. Even if I’m busy, nobody believes me; they think babysitting is the only thing I do after school, as if I don’t also have homework or designs to work on.” She blew her bangs out of her face. “I’m over it all. Next year will be the first year of _lycée,_ and I don’t want all of that responsibility while I’m adjusting to a new school. Even if that means Chloe takes the reins again.”

“She’d be a better choice than Lila, at least.” Felix smirked. “On the topic of Lila, has Alya talked to you yet, or is she still believing whatever lies that demon told?”

Marinette’s head hung lower. “No, not a word. I’m thinking about asking Adrien if he knows anything, but I’m still not really eager to talk to him. I don’t want another lecture on doing the right thing.”

“Understood. Well, if her mind is so easily swayed by such shallow fabrications, then it’s probably for the best that she stays away.” He scoffed. “I can’t believe she claims to be a journalist, but doesn’t research any claims made by that girl. You’re better off without her.”

“Maybe…” Marinette paused, eyes to the ground. “I mean, it probably is for the best, but… it still hurts. Not as much as it did that first day, but it does.”

“That makes sense; whether you’re better off without her or not, you still had that emotional attachment. It hurts to see the people we care about discard us.” Felix looked away for a moment, eyes glazing over, before he returned his attention to the girl in front of him. “In some ways, that pain never fully leaves. But one way to ease the pain is to focus on the strong relationships in your life. It seems you are close to your mother, and she sounds like a wonderful lady from what you’ve shared with me. Cherish that relationship with her, as well as your father. As for friends, well… we might not have known each other that long, and I understand if there’s not enough trust built up here yet, especially considering the treatment you’ve received from your other friends. You don’t have to believe me, but I would never lie to you, Marinette. It is in full sincerity that I say I will always remain by your side. From day one, you’ve extended your kindness to me while holding steadfast to your values. You’ve proven time and time again the nature of your being, and in knowing who you are I could never be fooled by such simple lies. When all else fails, I’ll be here for you.”

Marinette raised her head, eyes blown wide and pink flushing her cheeks. She surged forward, arms closing in tight around Felix. “I believe you. Thank you, Felix. That means so much to me.”

They remained that way for a minute before Marinette released him, and the two resumed their walk to the cafe in silence, each stuck in their own head. Though he couldn’t find it in himself to regret the sudden declaration, Felix was still embarrassed by the passion in his words, afraid he came on too strong.

Marinette, on the other hand, replayed his words in her mind, blushing more each time. Her heart rate picked up, and she began to feel strange about Felix’s promise of friendship. She had always seen them as friends, even before he did, but now that didn’t seem quite right. She stole a glance at him, with his lips pursed and eyes to the sky. It’s the same stoic, contemplative look she’d seen him wear many times before, but tonight, it looked different.

Tonight, she felt different. As she replayed the scene one final time, she began to look back on their friendship as a whole. Every joke they shared, every time they comforted one another. She reminisced on it all, trying to figure out what changed, and when she took one more look at him, blushing one more time, she understood.


	11. Part 8.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of their "hang out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part took so long to write, wound up shorter than I thought, and not as well-written as I hoped. Also can you tell I've never written a fight scene lmao  
Okay, struggle time. Sorry to talk about this again, but ya girl's really not doing too well financially and need's whatever help she can get! So if you enjoy my story, please consider helping me out:  
depop: cxalo (everything in my store is 50% off now since I'm trying to raise funds and close down the shop!)  
paypal: paypal.me/cogden83  
venmo: ciara-ogden  
cash app: $tenderangel  
ko-fi: ciaraangelyn  
Of course it's not an obligation, but it would be much appreciated if you could help out! Anyway, enough of that, thanks for everyone who's kept up with the series so far! Onto the story!

  
The cafe was just as quiet as Marinette claimed, much to Felix’s relief. Like the book store, it had a warm atmosphere; pastel tones colored the walls, the tables were far spread so everyone had room to themselves, and everyone talked at a respectable volume, even the customers. As he and Marinette took their seats, Felix let out a deep breath, tension from his earlier outburst of passion leaving his shoulders. When the waiter came by to take their orders, he felt calm as ever.  
  
“You like it here?” Marinette asked, grinning.  
  
“…Yes, I do. I’ve been having a really nice time this whole trip, actually.” He tried his best to ignore the blush on Marinette’s face, and the subsequent blush that it prompted from him. “I was a bit nervous to do this; not because I don’t enjoy your company, but because I’ve never done this before. I’m not sure what I was worried about, exactly, especially now that we’re here. I’m really enjoying myself.”  
  
Marinette’s voice barely rose above a whisper. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”  
  
God, the bashful smile on her face. Felix had never seen her with that expression before, but he adored it. Had he really brought that out of her?  
  
_Quit reading into things,_ he scolded himself. _You keep trying to see things that aren’t really there; you’re just her friend. Don’t be disrespectful._  
  
Meanwhile, Marinette was also lost in her own mental conversation, the feelings from the walk resurfacing already. Still, she was a bit confused about it all. Though these feelings were familiar, they didn’t quite feel the same as before. Sure, she could feel herself shying away from Felix a little bit, but she didn’t stutter or mix up her words like she has in the past.  
  
_Maybe it’s because I actually know him better than I did Adrien. After all, I’ve already spent more time with him these past couple months than I have with Adrien this past year. Ugh, don’t compare the two; that’s so rude. This is Felix’s first time out with a friend. Just be a friend to him; you can think about the rest later._  
  
They both startled out of their thoughts as the waiter approached the table. “One café crème and one cappuccino,” the waiter said, placing the drinks in front of them. “Enjoy.”  
  
“Thank you,” the two said in unison. Marinette, quick to try and distract her mind, took a sip of her cappuccino and nearly dropped her cup as she did.  
  
“Ah, hot!” she said, tongue out and panting. At the sight, Felix burst into laughter.  
  
“What, did you, expect?” he managed to say between giggles. “Our drinks just got to the table.”  
  
Marinette had never seen him laugh so hard, and soon she was giggling too.  
  
“Okay, yeah, not my brightest move,” Marinette said. “Guess I was just really eager to try it.”  
  
After that, all tensions from earlier melted away, and the two were able to talk easy with each other once again. They laughed and joked, talking about everything from their classmates, to Marinette’s Ultra Mecha Strike III addiction, to fashion in pop culture. Before they knew it, two hours passed and the sun started to get low in the sky.  
  
“Oh, let me walk you home before it’s completely dark out,” Felix offered.  
  
Marinette wasn’t too worried about that; if they stayed out past dark, she’d just hide in an alley, transform, and Ladybug her way home, but with Felix offering, she couldn’t refuse. She smiled at him. “Sure, let’s go.”  
  
They walked for a few blocks, passing by the bookstore once more, when Marinette got an eerie feeling. She stilled, listening for footsteps behind her, and did her best to remain calm when she heard them.  
  
“What are you two kids doing out so late?” a voice called out from behind them. “It’s getting dark.” The voice chuckled.  
  
They turned around to find a two towering men wearing black hoodies and dark denim jeans. The man on the left wore a black beanie under his hood, concealing the blond underneath; the man on the right had dark hair, uncovered, and his eyes were glazed over. “Your friend looks pretty fancy, princess,” the man with glazed eyes said. “Must come from money.” The two men grinned at that, hunger in their eyes. “Mind if we have a chat with him?”  
  
Felix’s eyes widened with fear as they began to approach, but Marinette put a hand out in front of him, eyes pleading for him to remain calm. She returned her attention to the men and spoke slowly, voice even. “What kind of chat do you have in mind?”  
  
“Relax doll; we’re not armed,” said the man in the beanie. Marinette deflated a little before her stance grew offensive, eyeing the distance between them and the men.  
  
“Yeah, we aren’t gonna stab children,” came the other voice, “but we just wanna get acquainted with your pal here, maybe take out a loan with him. If not, then we’ll be more than happy to acquaint him with our fists.”  
  
Felix scoffed. “I thought you said you wouldn’t hit children.”  
  
“We wouldn’t _stab_ children. Hittin’s different.”  
  
“You can hit back if you want—“  
  
“So at least it’s a fair fight.” The two men looked between each other and grinned again. Felix had only seen it twice, but he already grew tired of that look.  
  
“That doesn’t sound very fair to me,” he said.  
  
Fists clenched, Marinette smirked. “I don’t know; I’ll take those odds.” She surged forward, punching the dark-haired man in the face and ducking to avoid any moves from the other guy. She twisted her body behind them, using the momentum to kick the beanied man in the back, knocking him to the ground. Feeling the dark-haired man behind her, she turned again and kneed the him in the gut, knocking his fist off-trajectory so it hit below her collarbone instead of her face. She reeled for a moment before bringing her shin to the other man’s side as he tried to rise back up. Without waiting another moment, she jumped over the two while they were still on the ground and ran towards a stunned Felix, grabbing his hand and dragging him along with her.  
  
They ran full speed until they reached the park, stopping to catch their breath in the well-lit area. Once Felix could breathe again, he used that breath to yell at Marinette.  
  
“WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT?! That was incredibly dangerous, reckless, idiotic—you could have been hurt!” His eyes traveled to where she’s holding her shoulder and soften, but he continued yelling. “You were hurt! Two-on-one! What were you thinking? Why did you do that? Why did I let you?! Wha—where did you learn to fight?” He didn’t mean to, but that last question sounded more in awe than in anger.  
  
Marinette shrugged, then winced, and Felix rushed to her side. She waved him off. “Don’t worry, it’s just bruised; I can tell. Badly bruised, like it’ll look ugly in the morning, but nothing more.”  
  
He gave her a dubious look, then sighed. “Fine. I trust you, but you must ice that as soon as you get home.” Even though she’s the one who saved his ass back there, Felix still felt the need to protect her. He put his arm around her, and the two finished the walk back to Marinette’s, Felix glancing behind them every few feet. Even though Marinette saved his ass back there, her face still heated up at the gesture.  
  
Once they arrive at her place, Marinette smiled sheepishly. “So I know the ending could’ve gone better.”  
  
“A lot better,” Felix muttered, eyeing her shoulder once more.  
  
“But I had a lot of fun hanging out with you.”  
  
For the first time since they ran into those men, a small smile appeared on Felix’s face. “Likewise.”  
  
“Let’s hang out again soon. At the bakery this time! I can introduce you to my parents, baking—“  
  
“I’ve baked before!” Felix squawked.  
  
Marinette looked him up and down, then rolled her eyes. “…Sure. Oh, and I can introduce you to video games, too!”  
  
Felix smirked. “I’m not sure I want to go down that road, based on what you’ve told me about your Mega Ultra Strike addiction.”  
  
“It’s Ultra Mecha Strike III! But, uh, we don’t have to play that if you don’t want to.” Averting her eyes, Marinette twirled one of her pig tails nervously.  
  
“Hey, I was only teasing. It sounds like a wonderful time, and I look forward to it.”  
  
Marinette brightened. “Next Saturday, then?”  
  
“That works for me.”  
  
“Alright, it’s settled!” She tackled Felix in a tight hug, then squeaked. “Okay, goodnight!” She hardly waited to hear it back from him before rushing through the door behind her, but Felix could’ve sworn he saw her face tinged pink before the door closed.  
  
While he originally planned to walk home, the earlier encounter had him dialing for his driver. As he waited, he thought back on everything from that day. The talk about Adrien, and Lila, the bookstore, Marinette’s face when she burnt her tongue on the coffee, the men in hoodies, Marinette’s puzzling (and terrifyingly amazing) fighting skills, and the handholding. God, so much handholding. And he walked her home with his arm around her! Where did that come from?  
  
He recalled all of the small touches from their time together, growing redder with each memory. His driver asked if he was feeling sick when Felix stepped into the car, concerned about the young man’s flush.  



	12. Part 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's been... a little dense. Marinette and Felix help him learn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's good fuckers, I'm finally updating! And y'all are gonna get some non-felinette plot development over the next two parts :0 shocking, I know.  
If certain things they discuss don't feel like they were properly built up, it's because this series started as a one shot, and I had no intention of including Lila stuff originally. So just go off of what's happened in canon for all that (pre-Ladybug episode, anyway; if I had known Adrien was gonna grow a backbone in the show, I wouldn't have written him Like That)  
ok that's all enjoy

“Ugh, I knew she’d befriend that guy because it’s freakin’ Marinette, but when did they get so soft around each other? It’s grossing me out.” Alya scrunched her nose, looking at the two sitting a little too close to each other at the far lunch table.

Lila pouted at the scene. “I know! Even though Marinette’s never liked me, she seemed so sweet when she was around you guys. I couldn’t picture her being with a guy that would mock my mom’s line of work like that.”

“Yeah, how can someone be so stuck up? Then again, if Marinette didn’t come to your defense, I guess she is the type to hang out with a guy like that.” Alya stood with her eyes to the ground, reminiscing. “Marinette used to defend everyone who was wronged, even Chloe.” She glanced once more towards the table and shook her head. “She really has changed, huh?”

Lila placed her hand over Alya’s. “I’m sorry Alya. I know it hurts; believe me, seeing her treat others the way she’s always treated me kills me, especially when she claimed to be such good friends with you guys. But you were right to cut her off; it was for the best. Besides, you have me now. I won’t flake on you or disrespect your journalistic integrity.”

Alya smiled. “I know girl.” She wrapped Lila up in a big hug.

Across the lunch room, Marinette frowned at the sight of Alya and Lila hugging. Partially because she missed Alya, but partially because she could see Lila’s fake smile from here.

“It’s not even that she’s lying about me,” Marinette huffed, “it’s that she’s leading Alya on, letting her believe that they’re best friends. I know that the moment Alya’s truly hurting or upset and needs a friend, Lila won’t be there.” She turned towards Felix and smiled sympathetically. “Honestly, I’m surprised that liar hasn’t gone after you, too.”

Felix scoffed. “Please. Like I’d entertain her delusions for even a moment. Besides, everyone else in the class already dislikes me. She has no motive, except to make you completely miserable.”

“Don’t underestimate that motive,” Marinette muttered.

“Come on,” Felix said, placing his hand on Marinette’s. Her eyes widened at the touch, and he pulled away and cleared his throat, face red. “We have a free period since Mme. Mendeleiev had that family emergency. Let’s go to the art room; the one place Lila never touches, for some reason.”

Marinette giggled. “Yeah, for someone who claims to have a lot of creative hobbies, I’ve never seen her step foot in there.”

Marinette looped her arm around Felix’s, blushing lightly, and the two made their way to the art room. _Calm down, Marinette. You used to walk arm-in-arm with Felix all the time. Don’t start blushing now, or you’ll make it weird._

Right as Marinette had almost figured out something to say to clear the awkwardness in the air, she felt a hand on her other arm. She turned in shock to find Adrien, smiling warm as ever. “Hey Marinette,” he said. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Um…” Her eyes dashed towards her arm in Felix’s, then up to his face. Lips pursed, he gave Adrien a hard stare.

“The choice is yours, Marinette,” he stated simply.

“Okay, Adrien.” Marinette nodded at Felix to go on without her, and when he rounded the corner, Adrien led her into the empty classroom next to them.

“So… what’s up?” It was a little awkward, talking to Adrien alone. Marinette couldn’t remember the last time she’d done it; she was still stuttering around him the last time, so it definitely had to have been awhile.

“Um, I noticed you were spending a lot of time around Felix lately, which is really cool of you! He’s not much of a people person, and he could use a good friend like you influencing his life.” Adrien’s smile fell a little. “I’m just a bit concerned.”

Marinette raised her eyebrows at him. “About Felix, or…?”

“About Lila.”

Marinette’s expression went flat. “What about Lila?”

“Well, we were supposed to be in this together, right?”

“Yeah, we were…” Marinette exhaled. Where the hell was he going with this? “Listen Adrien, whatever you’re trying to say, I’m not following.”

“Well, you’ve kind of been spending all of your time hanging around Felix. I know we agreed not to confront Lila, but do you really have to avoid everyone in order to do that?”

“What?” Marinette gaped. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yeah, I am. Haven’t you noticed it?” Marinette continued to gape as Adrien prattled on, unaware. “You spend all of class sitting with him, which I guess you can’t help since you’re seated together, but during lunch you’re with him, too. You haven’t hung out with anyone else after school, either, and just now you guys were on your way to the art room. Like I said, I really appreciate you being a friend to Felix, given how icy he is, and I appreciate you keeping your word not to expose Lila, but given the fact that it’s come at the expense of your other friendships, I’m a little worried.”

Adrien’s final sentence snapped Marinette out of her stupor. “You think _I’m_ ignoring my friends?”

Adrien winced, hand reaching behind his neck. “I wouldn’t say you’re ignoring them; I just think you’ve been very focused maintaining distance from Lila, and now it’s starting to affect your other friendships. I think you check in with Alya or Nino sometime, you know? See how they’re doing, show them you still care.” His easy smiled returned while Marinette fumed.

“Adrien. I’ve been staying away from Lila because she’s been ruining my friendship! She’s the one who got Alya to ignore me; I don’t even know how because Alya hasn’t said one word to me in months! She won’t even give me the chance to fix things, and where she goes, Nino follows. Lila has them both wrapped up in her lies.”

“No way. Lila’s been better! You haven’t been around her, but she’s changed, Marinette. Just like I figured. All we had to do was give her the chance to do better. She tells the truth now!”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Or maybe she’s making her lies more believable now.”

Eyes to the ground, Adrien shook his head. “You used to always the girl who gives someone the benefit of the doubt; you were our everyday Ladybug. Why can’t you believe she’s changed?”

“Because she hasn’t,” Felix’s voice rang from behind them. The two turned around, Adrien narrowing his eyes at Felix.

“And how would you know? You don’t spend any time around her, either.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t hear her loud mouth blabbering from my seat in class. I don’t know if you’ve gotten dumber or simply more gullible, but her lies have not become any more believable. They’re just as fantastic and full of holes as they were when I first arrived at this school, and the fact that you’re aware of her lying nature and still believe her makes this all the more abhorrent.”

Adrien’s eyes narrowed once more, but this time in concentration. Had he really missed her lying? She sounded so sincere these days. “Maybe she still says some far-fetched things, but her tone’s changed. She never sounds like she’s exaggerating anymore.”

“You’ve somehow proven me right and wrong.” Felix pinched between his brows. “I stand corrected then; Lila’s lies have gotten somewhat better. On the other hand, I’m correct in saying that your naiveté has gotten worse.”

“Think about it, Adrien,” Marinette chimed in. “I should have shared this sooner, but on the same day we made that pact, Lila threatened to take away all my friends if I stood in her way.” She watched Adrien’s eyes go wide. “I told you that I wouldn’t expose her, but I can’t put my morals aside to do so. So when her lies turned into manipulating our friends, I had to try to talk some sense into them. Clearly, it didn’t work; you know how long it’s been since I’ve spoken to anyone besides Lila.

“In that way, she’s been honest and kept her side of the threat; now that I avoid her, she’s left Felix alone.” Marinette’s nose scrunched. “I’m not sure that that’s on purpose, though; I more think she stopped caring since everyone else ignores me.” Felix chuckled, recalling their earlier conversation.

“So Adrien, the choice is up to you. Continue to believe a liar, holding steadfast to your disfigured morals,” Felix’s voice dropped to a mumble, “since that worked so well for you the last time, or believe your ‘everyday Ladybug,’ an admittedly accurate name for the kindhearted angel standing before you.” Marinette’s cheeks dusted pink at the last part, as did Felix’s, but he pressed on. “Really, though, I cannot understand why you’d ever dismiss Marinette. I’m sure she’s been nothing but sweet, helpful, and considerate to you and your feelings. She’s truly one of a kind in this school full of sheep, and you’d have to be an imbecile or a coward to choose Lila over her.”

Felix _almost_ had Adrien until he mentioned his ineptitude. “I didn’t choose Lila! I was looking out for her and everyone else; exposing her was bound to cause an akuma, and I was trying to avoid that!”

“As nearly noble as that is, Lila’s not the only one with feelings. In fact, I might argue she’s the only one without them.” Marinette snorted at Felix’s remark. “Marinette, on the other hand, probably fought off countless akumas since the threatening and enactment of her loss of friends.”

Adrien gasped. “Is that true, Marinette?” She nodded.<

“Consider yourself lucky, then, that Marinette is as strong-willed as she is because an akumatized Marinette sounds like an absolute terror to the city.”

_You have no idea,_ Marinette thought to herself.

“Much more powerful and terrifying than an akumatized Lila could ever be.” Felix looked with his head raised and eyes cast down towards his cousin. Adrien gulped.

“You’re… right. Not just about Marinette being a crazy force of an akuma, but about everything.” He turned towards the girl in question. “Marinette, I am so sorry. I haven’t really been there for you at all. I didn’t think about how any of this might have made you feel; I didn’t think you could get akumatized like Lila, which was stupid of me.”

Felix snorted. “I’ll say.” Adrien shot daggers at him before continuing.

“You’ve been my friend for way longer and an amazing friend at that. You always stand for what’s right, even when it involves standing by people you don’t like. I should have trusted your judgment. I should have listened. I… should have done a lot of things.”

Marinette sighed. “I want to say it’s okay, but we both know it’s not. Lila hurt me, and you hurt me, too, when you claimed we were in this together but never stood by me. I shouldn’t forgive you this fast, and maybe I don’t, but… I do miss your friendship. It’s going to take a long time to build that trust back up, but I’m willing to give you that chance.”

Adrien’s face lit up. “Really?!"

Marinette gave him a small smile. “Yes.”

Felix tried not to retch as the two shared a hug. Truth be told, he was happy to see Adrien come around to Marinette, to do right this time around what he didn’t for their falling out. It seems he has grown since then, and if anyone deserved to have things made right, it was Marinette. 

His mind went back to Adrien’s nickname for her. “Everyday Ladybug.” He hummed. _Brave, smart, stands by her morals even in strong adversity, has compassion for even her enemies but doesn’t let them take advantage of that. She truly fits the name._ He looked at her and smiled. _She could rival Ladybug. In fact, if given the chance, I bet she could be a better Ladybug than the hero herself._


	13. Part 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally addressing the Lila situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if y'all wanted more from the Lila ordeal, but that's not really what this fic is about! I wouldn't leave it unaddressed, but it's not my focus at all. SO here's Lila being a dumbass with a big mouth and getting caught LOL.

Adrien wore his scarf to school today. He wasn’t particularly cold, but he hadn’t worn it yet this season, and he was itching to bust it out. It was the most personal gift he’d ever received from his father, and he loved to show it off.

Standing in front of the school, he saw Marinette near the main entranced and waved. She waved back, color rising to her cheeks. He never understood why Marinette blushed when she saw him wearing it. _Maybe blue’s her favorite color,_ he wondered to himself. _Maybe she thinks I look good in blue._ Now it was his turn to blush.

Ever since that moment in the classroom with Felix and Marinette, Adrien realized how much he took his friendship with the girl for granted. She was so sweet and adorable, but also headstrong and stood for nobody’s shit, including his own. He also saw many other amazing qualities about her he’d previously been blind to, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say the young man developed a little bit of a crush on her. Not enough to stomp out the flame for his lady, but enough to get his heart going when he thought about her too much.

As he approached Marinette, Lila also approached with Alya and Nino in tow, intercepting him before he could properly speak to the blue-eyed girl.

“Adrien!” He tried not to blanch as she called his name. It was hard to play nice with her since he began to proactively stand by Marinette, and he wanted to expose her, but she now worked closely with his father and made things complicated. Now he stood in limbo, trying to regain Marinette’s trust while balancing his relationship with Lila, using the same forced professionalism he did with everyone else in the industry.

“Hey, Lila.”

She reached for his arm, but he carefully sidestepped the advance. Ignoring this, her eyes went to his scarf. “Ooh, I see you’re wearing the scarf I designed!”

“What?!” Adrien, Marinette, and Alya all said in unison, but it was Adrien who spoke next.

“This scarf was a birthday gift from my father, Lila.”

She beamed. “Yeah, when I designed a line of scarves for Gabriel, he special-ordered that one from me! Said it was a birthday gift for his son. I didn’t know you personally at the time, but I was still so excited to make it.”

Alya’s mouth hung in awe. “Oh my God, you’re a fucking liar.”

Lila faltered. “E-excuse me?”

“Yeah, babe, what’s up?” Nino nudged his girlfriend, concern in his eyes.

“You didn’t design that scarf; Marinette made that for Adrien’s birthday. His dad’s assistant ripped the tag off, pretending it was from Gabe.”

“What?” Adrien repeated. “Is… is that true?” He turned toward Marinette.

“Yes,” she answered quietly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You seemed really happy when you thought it was from your dad.” She averted her eyes, picking at a seam on her pants. “I didn’t want to take that away from you.”

His cheeks turned red. “Mari…”

“I’m sorry, but she did not make that,” Lila chimed in, looking at Alya with tears in her eyes. “After all this time, you’re still willing to believe one of Marinette’s lies. That hurts, Alya.” Her lip wobbled.

Alya met her with a flat stare. “I was literally with Marinette when she made the scarf; I watched her knit that thing. You’ve really been lying to us this whole time…”

“I’m sorry! I must have gotten that mixed up with another scarf I designed for him. I would never lie to you guys, really!”

“Dudette, if you lied that easily about something small like a scarf, then you’ve definitely lied to us about a bunch of other stuff. Actually, I’m starting to wonder if you ever told the truth.”

“Oh, my God.” Alya turned towards Marinette. “Girl, I am so sorry. So fucking sorry. I believed Lila over you so easily about things you would never do. I let her drive us apart.” Tears formed in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, too. I’ve known you since we were kids; I should’ve believed you.” Nino looked to the ground.

“Excuse me!” Lila yelled.

Marinette gave her a puzzled look. “Why are you still here? I’m trying to accept an apology from my friends.”

Lila shot her the iciest glare. “This isn’t over, Marinette.”

“Right. I’m pretty sure it is.” Her friends snickered as Lila stalked off.

“So, uh.” Alya cleared her throat. “You forgive us?”

Marinette’s smile tapered off. “I can’t say that I do. Not yet.”

“Oh.”

“But you did call us your friends,” Nino added, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Marinette smiled softly at them, and the three embraced in a group hug.

Adrien smiled at the group, happy to see things turning around, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the scarf wrapped around his neck. “Hey, uh, I gotta stop by my locker before class, but you guys have fun reconnecting.” Before anyone could even acknowledge that he said something, he walked off.

_Marinette made me this scarf. Not my father. That means he didn’t even get me a present last year. But Marinette lied like Lila. No, not like Lila. She did it to make me happy._

Adrien faltered at the conflicting emotions, torn between his appreciation for Marinette and his disappointment for his father. _It’s not like this is the first time he’s disappointed me._ He let the hurt fall away, giving room to the warmth blooming in his chest. Because of course Marinette made this scarf for him. Of course she cares about him more than his own father. Of course she looked out for his happiness rather than owning up to the scarf. Who else but her?

Adrien’s “little bit of a crush” on Marinette developed into a little something more by the end on the day. His lady was still at the forefront, but Marinette, well, she came pretty close.


	14. Part 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a couple parts of focusing on other matters, it's time to get back to some Felinette cuteness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER! Life is hard n I hit writer's block, but we're all good now!  
After almost six months of struggle, I've finally got a job! It's only a seasonal position, so the job hunt still continues, but I can breathe so much easier now knowing I won't have to scrape by to make my loan payments each month. Instead, I can scrape by on paying off other debts :')  
This is a long ass bit, and I hope it doesn't feel as passionless as it comes across to me. I still love this series, but ya bitch has heavy depression n lost her desire to engage in just about anything. Still, I tried to write it like the me whose in a healthy state of mind would lmao. Enjoy!

“Felix!” Marinette grinned, answering the door to the bakery. Felix took her in: hair down once again, she donned a pale blue blouse that hung off the shoulders, and pale pink cuffed shorts. She looked adorable, and he tried to swallow down his flustered state as he entered the bakery.

It was as warm as he expected it to be. The smell of bread baking, the warm smile on who he assumed was her mother’s face behind the counter. It held the same effect that Marinette held over him: it felt like home. He sighed. “What a lovely place.”

Marinette giggled. “Felix, you just stepped inside; you haven’t even seen the rest of it yet.”

“Marinette, sweetheart? Bring your friend over here!” Sabine called from behind the counter. Turning towards the kitchen, she yelled, “Tom! Marinette’s friend is here! Get in here and say hello.”

Felix felt his face flush with the sudden influx of attention. Nervous, he turned to Marinette, who also appeared a little pink.

“Maman,” she groaned as Tom stepped into the kitchen. “You don’t have to make such a big show of this.”

“Of course I do!” She pulled Tom forward, and the two smiled warmly. “After all we’ve heard about Felix, we want to make sure he feels welcome here.”

Tom faced Felix. “Seriously son, I want to thank you for being a friend to Marinette. She was having a bit of a hard time at school for awhile there, but you being a real friend to her means a lot to us. There’s light in my little girl’s eyes again, and I can’t thank you enough for that.”

If Felix was flushed before, he’s certainly red now. “Oh, um, you are welcome, but it’s me who should be thanking her. I’ve never known such compassion before, aside from my own mom, but I see now where Marinette learned it from. She is the kindest person I know, and she deserves more than just the light in her eyes; she deserves to be seen for who she is, and not just what she has to offer.”

Marinette’s eyes dropped to the floor as she twirled one of her pigtails; the last time she felt this flattered-but-mortified was around Adrien, but for completely different reasons. Meanwhile, Felix’s eyes went wide, no doubt realizing the weight of the sentiments he just expressed.

Marinette’s parents went from absolutely beaming at the young man to bursting into laughter at the two’s witless expressions. “Alright,” Sabine said, her tone still jovial, “I think it’s time we leave you two alone. Marinette, is the oven still on upstairs?”

That snapped Marinette right out of her fluster. “Oh my gosh, I forgot! Come on, Felix!” She grabbed his hand and rushed out, mumbling something about being a sham of a baker’s daughter, while Felix followed numbly.

Her parents watched as they ascended the stairs, still chuckling. “He’s my favorite so far,” Tom said. “Much better than Chat Noir, and he cares for her in a way that Adrien never did.”

Sabine nodded. “I was rooting for Adrien, but this young man certainly cares for Marinette, and I want whoever will make our daughter shine like she’s been lately. Besides, they are just too cute together!”

——————

“So, I had some extra time before you showed up and decided to try and make some treats that we could eat when you got here,” Marinette grinned, heading towards the oven. “Just in case our baking lesson doesn’t go too well.” She frowned, leaning into it. “Hey, I knew I turned this thing off,” she grumbled.

Felix huffed. “Or, you could try having some faith in me.”

“Oh, I have plenty of faith in you! But most everyone’s first lesson goes at least a little bit awry, and since it’s just me and my clumsiness teaching you without my parents to back me up, then it’s almost a guarantee.”

“Hmm, maybe it’s your own self that you need to put more faith in.”

“Hey, I have faith in myself, too; I wouldn’t have made us this chocolate soufflé if I didn’t! But I am pretty clumsy; while I expect us to do a good job, I’m also expecting a slip or spill to happen at some point.”

“Fair enough.” Felix eyed the state of the kitchen: flour dusting all surfaces, dishes haphazardly in the sink, appliances strewn about, and a neat corner of the kitchen with a few unopened ingredients on the counter. Finally registering the sheer chaos of the room, he shifted uncomfortable. “So, what is it that you’ll be teaching me today?”

“Something a lot less daunting than soufflé, I promise. I’ve been, uh, in the mood where a girl craves chocolate,” Marinette said, eyes averted, “so we’ll be making a chocolate ganache tart. Does that sound good?”

“Quite frankly, I’m not a huge fan of sweets; I’m more interested in learning the process than the end result. If you’re looking forward to it, though, then so am I.” Felix gave her a puzzled look as Marinette began to chuckle.

“I know I said you should feel comfortable sharing all your opinions with me, and I still stand by that, but I’m gonna change your mind on this one. Just wait, a plate of this with a cafe creme on the side, and you’ll be thanking me for proving you wrong.”

Felix smiled, challenging but affectionate. “I look forward to it.”

The two begin baking, with Marinette instructing Felix while she cut them slices of the soufflé from earlier. He’s overly cautious, meticulously poring over each measurement to the point where he shook slightly. Did he plan to behave this way? Most certainly not, but if a result of his nerves is that the expert baker’s daughter put her hand over his to steady him, well, he can’t find it in himself to be too upset at his own ineptitude.

After waiting on the dough to chill (and eating soufflé to kill time), the rest of the process followed a similar pattern. Marinette instructs, Felix follows along too seriously, Marinette comes to his aid, hands brush, both blush, and on until the flustered teens finally place the dish in the oven. Needing a distraction from their hormones, Marinette prepared the coffee while Felix began to clean up a little.

“Oh, Felix, you don’t have to do that! You’re my guest.”

“Nonsense. I made most of this mess; I should be the one to clean it.”

“Fine, but I’m helping you as soon as I’m done with the coffee over here.”

“Deal.”

Once they cleaned up, and the coffee’s ready, they settled at the table with a mug and another slice of soufflé. Marinette watched Felix tear into his slice with a huge grin, noting that he didn’t even wait for her to sit down. “It looks like I converted you.”

“It seems you have. I can’t for the life of me remember why I so fervently believed I didn’t like sweets. Maybe it was something my father drilled into me. Either way, this is delicious, and I’m excited for the next one to come out of the oven. Although, I don’t see how that was an ‘easy’ dessert to make.” Felix poked his fork into his soufflé. “We made a huge mess, and we keep having to check on it and make adjustments while it’s in there. It seems finicky.”

Marinette shrugged. “All baking is finicky, unless you’re just making something like chocolate chip cookies, and even those have a lot of variants that could affect the outcome.”

“Such as?”

“If you want fluffier cookies, you add more baking powder. For thinner ones, granulated sugar. More rigid or textured, add melted butter; this will also make them a little darker brown in color. You could also chill the dough beforehand; we rarely do that, so I’m not sure, but I think it makes them chewier.”

Felix listened, mouth slightly agape. “Incredible. I didn’t think something as simple as chocolate chip cookies could have such complexities. Not for the first time today, I’ve underestimated the skill of baking. It really is an art form; I’m even more in awe of you and your parents.”

Marinette blushed. “Well, it is my dad’s passion; I think everyone’s passions come with a lot of hard work and knowledge that people who aren’t familiar with it won’t see. Same as when you were ranting about Camus in the bookstore last time; I’d never given thought to some of the things you said until you said them, and I’m sure if I told my parents, they’d say the same.” Felix’s face puckered all of a sudden. “What is it? Something wrong with the soufflé?”

“No, it’s not that. Every time you say something like you’ve just said, full of compassion and understanding and maturity the likes of which many adults will never achieve, I’m increasingly annoyed by how your friends could have been so blind to that. In my eyes, you leave not even a centimeter of room to doubt your kind heart, further reinforced by the fact that you aren’t even trying to do such.”

“Yeah,” Marinette chuckled, mostly breath with no humor. “I’m trying to move on, but it still bugs me, especially with Nino and Alya. I’ve known Nino since kindergarten, and Alya was supposed to be my best friend.” Another huff, then an actual calming breath filled Marinette. “They’ve apologized though, multiple times since Lila fucked herself over, and we’re working on a tentative friendship.”

“How’s that going by the way?”

“It’s kind of stressful, but I’m also happy to do it. I really have missed them. They’ve also started talking to the rest of the class about it, which has helped on that front. Juleka, Rose, and Nathaniel came and talked to me that day, and Ivan and Mylene the day after that, so I’ve been repairing things with others, too.”

“I still dislike everyone, but I suppose that’s good, if it’s making you feel good. And Adrien?”

“Weird. I knew he didn’t make me nervous anymore, he hasn’t for a long time, but I wasn’t really talking to him during that time. This is really the first time we’ve been friends without me being a total spazz around him. Honestly, it kinda feels like I’m babysitting him now.” She paused, letting Felix burst into laughter.

“Oh, that’s too good,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye. “I swear, I don’t understand how grew up with such naiveté; we had essentially the same childhood, yet somehow he wound up way more sheltered. Still, I’m happy you aren’t isolated anymore, although I do miss the monopoly I had on your time. I-I mean not in a possessive way, you’re your own person, but—“

Marinette giggled. “It’s okay, I know what you mean. I kind of miss it, too. Things are just so easy around you. Even before this whole Lila ordeal, things didn’t always feel easy with everyone. Alya would drag me into these harebrained schemes that the other girls would be in on, which was the main reason I spent time with them outside of school, now that I think about it. Aside from and Alya, Nino, or Nathaniel, then I’d say I probably spent more time helping out my friends than actually hanging out with them. And things were never easy with Adrien.

“You, however, make it so easy. We can just have normal conversations or do normal things. No schemes, no plotting, no efforts to break your photo curse or mend your relationship with your mom.”

That earned a snort from Felix. “Whose mommy issues did you attempt to repair?”

Marinette chuckled genuinely this time. “Chloe’s, believe it or not. If you think she’s bad, you have to see where she gets it from. I actually feel for her; who knows how I’d have turned out with a mother like that.”

“Oh, yes, I’ve met Audrey a few times.” Felix grimaced. “I do feel for that brat in that regard; I cherish my mom, and I can’t imagine growing up with someone like Audrey in her place. I hope Chloe gets the help she needs in the future. What?” Felix asked as Marinette shot him a look. “I mean that. I’m not trying to call her crazy; it’d be good for her to work through her issues.”

“Okay, just making sure.” The oven dings. “Yay! It’s almost ready. Now we just have to wait five minutes while it cools, add the toppings, then finish letting it cool down, and it’s ready to serve!”

“More waiting?” Felix asked, exasperated, to which Marinette snorted.

“Yes, more waiting. Come on, you’ve made it this far; I can kick your ass in video games while we wait.” She led him out to the living room and turned on the TV and gaming console. “Ready to try Ultimate Mecha Strike III?”

“Not really, since I know I’m only going to last a few minutes before you beat me.”

Marinette snorted again, eyes dancing playfully. “You think you’re gonna last that long?”

Felix sighed. “… Not anymore.”

—————-

Marinette’s surprised. Really, she is. Felix lasted way longer than she expected him to (which still wasn’t long at all, but he showed potential). It seemed like he was enjoying it, too, if the concentration on his face was anything to go by. Still, three rounds of ass-whooping later, he seemed ready to abandon the game.

“Alright, I’ve put you through enough; let’s go check on the tart.” The two got up and headed back towards the kitchen.

“I enjoyed it more than I expected to, actually. The flashing lights and noise are a bit too much for me, but if it weren’t for that, I could probably play for longer.”

“Yeah, I guess I didn’t think about that; you’re not really a lights-and-noise kinda guy. I’m glad you had fun, though.” She smiled, and he returned it.

“Me, too. Now, however? I’m ready to finally try this dessert we’ve worked so hard on.”

Marinette laughed at his eagerness. “I think I’ve seen you act more like a child today than I have, well, ever.” Felix pouted, which only added to Marinette’s sentiment and laughter. “Hey, I mean it in a good way; sometimes you seem so grown, and I just want you to relax and feel a little more at ease.”

“Oh.” Felix blushed, a sudden shyness filling him. “I do, here.” Marinette raised her eyebrows at him. “I feel like I can relax at your house. I don’t have to be so poised, or stiff, or cold. I know I can relax here without repercussion. Thank you for that, Marinette.”

“No need to thank me; that’s what I want you to feel while you’re here.”

“It’s not just when I’m here. This feeling of ease, it doesn’t come from your home, Marinette. It comes from you.” Though they were both blushing, Felix didn’t look away. He wanted to make sure she knew just how much he meant that. They held each other’s gaze for a few moments, Marinette looking into his eyes as if searching for something more, before turning away to the oven. With two slices of tarts and renewed mugs of coffee in hand, Marinette led Felix to her room.

“So, how is this one?” Marinette asked once they were seated in her room, Felix on the chaise and her at her desk.

“It’s even better than the first dessert, no offense. I know you worked hard on that one, and it’s delicious too, but I think the espresso dusting the top of this tart really won me over.”

“That makes sense; it’s another part of the reason I picked this dessert for us. I knew that even if you didn’t like sweets, I could at least get you to appreciate the coffee.”

“You thought right,” Felix replied, distracted. The longer he was in her room, the slower he ate, too mesmerized by the environment around him. Yes, it was gaudy, and the amount of pink might be enough to give him a headache, but that wasn’t what was so amazing about it. No, everywhere you looked, there was a design project of some sort. Sketches tacked haphazardly all of the walls, bits of fabric looming in every corner, half-dressed mannequins, and hangers with clothing pieces in various states of completion hanging from every surface they could be hung. Marinette, noticing Felix’s roaming eyes, blushed.

“Sorry for the mess,” she said, embarrassed. “If I had a separate work room, I swear my room would be spotless.”

“Don’t apologize. I don’t care about the mess; I’m impressed by your designs. No matter what state these pieces are in, you can see the passion behind each one.”

“Oh, really?” Marinette reached one hand behind her head.

“Yes, really. How do you have the time to manage so much and still put such quality into each of them?”

She shrugged. “Well, I will say I’m not always like this. I kinda threw myself into designing hardcore when my friendships weren’t… doing so well. It kept me distracted in a good way.”

“I’ll say.” Felix got up from the chaise to go run his hand over some of the fabrics. “I’ve seen your sketches in class, have heard you talk about fashion with conviction, even seen a few of your designs come to life on the runway, but this? Every time you blow me away, you one-up yourself the next time around. I’m truly amazed, Marinette.”

“Thanks, Felix.” She looked away, and Felix saw an unsure expression that he’d never seen on her face before. “You keep telling me that, and I _am_ really proud of some of the things I’ve made, but I don’t know. I’m nowhere near where I want to be.” She rubbed a strand from one of her pigtails between her fingers.

“Good.”

“Good?” Marinette looked up at him as he walked over and sat down next to her at the desk.

“Yes, that’s how it should be. Always striving for better, that’s how you know it’s a passion.” He takes her hands in his. “You never settle for less than your current best, and you’re always aiming to accomplish something greater. That’s the mark of true passion, of someone who will be a standout name in the industry. Besides, you’re fifteen; you wouldn’t want your best work to come this early in life, anyway.”

Marinette chuckled. “I guess you’re right. Thanks, Felix.” She glanced down at her hands in his, then back up to his face. His eyes… maybe she was reading into this situation, but it looks like they were concentrated on her lips. Her eyes went wide. _Maybe I’m not reading into this…_

She brought her own eyes down to his lips. They looked soft, not that she’s surprised. He wouldn’t be the type to let his lips get chapped. _Wait, he’s leaning in. He’s leaning in!_

Eyes half-lidded, she began to lean in as well. Heart racing, their lips were only centimeters away from his own when a nearby crash shook them out of their moment.

“What the…” Felix trailed, sounding quite annoyed.

Marinette exhaled, equally pissed. _Of course now. Why not. It’s Hawkmoth, after all. Can’t expect to have anything good happen in my life while that fucker’s still around._ Ignoring her annoyance, she managed to speak to Felix with a sense of urgency. “Akuma. Get down to the living room; it’s safest there. I have to lock my trapdoor, but I’ll meet you down there.”

He bit his lip, a nervous habit he developed from being around her. “Are you sure, Marinette?”

“I’m sure. Trust me, Felix, I’ve done this plenty of times before. I’ll see you in a minute.”

He hesitated, then sighed. “Okay, I trust you. See you soon.” And then he was down the ladder and out of her room.

Tikki zipped out of her purse the moment the door closed, sympathy written on her face. “I’m sorry, Marinette.”

“He trusts me.”

“I heard.”

“I hate lying to him.”

“I know.”

“Ugh, I can’t do this right now. Spots on!”

Ladybug climbed through the trapdoor and swung to the action a few buildings away. She came up on a large, reptilian figure oozing light purple slime from its entire body. A slime-covered Chat Noir was stuck to the roof of the building with the akumatized creature standing over him, reaching for his ring. She whipped her yoyo at the figure, lashing their hand off-trajectory and catching its attention.

“I don’t have time for banter or taglines,” she said, scowling at the figure. “Come on Chat Noir!”

“Can’t, Ladybug; I’m in a bit of a sticky situation,” he joked, though the chuckle following sounded a little more desperate than humorous.

“Ugh, I was afraid of that. Don’t worry, I’ll lead it away while I try to think of a way to get you outta there. Okay, Slimebag!” The creature looked up at Marinette once again, rage filling their features. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? Or we can fight, your choice.”

“My name isn’t Slimebag!” They roared, leaping towards Ladybug. “It’s _Varan Violet_, and I prefer to fight!”

Ladybug dodged easily, noting that speed definitely wasn’t their strong point. “So are you a reptile or an amphibian?” She teased. “Because you kinda look like a reptile, plus the name, but then you’ve got that slime thing going on—“ she ducked as a glob of slime came flying her way.

“This isn’t slime! Maybe you’re slow and having a hard time comprehending the state your sidekick is in right now—“

“Hey! I’m not her sidekick!”

“—But this stuff is sticky, not slimy.” Varan Violet pinched its eyebrows together. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. What matters is teaching the disrespectful brats in my science class a lesson they’ll never forget! Oh, and nabbing you and your pest’s miraculous.”

“Only I get to call him a pest!” Ladybug swung her yoyo towards Varan, only to swerve out of the way last minute when she noticed they made no effort to evade her. She landed on another rooftop nearby, then rolled off the top, using her yoyo to swing safely to the bottom of the building. She ran through a few backroads before ducking into an alleyway.

“Okay,” she thought aloud. “I’m assuming I can’t touch them; that’s probably how Chat Noir got stuck. I can’t touch Chat Noir, either, since he’s covered in the stuff, and I have no clue where the akuma is. Agh, Lucky Charm!” A bright light flashed, and Ladybug smirked. A plan didn’t usually fall into place that easily, but today must have been her lucky day.

———-

Felix stared at the TV screen in Marinette’s living room. He had the news turned on, and a shot of Ladybug rolling off the side of a building filled the screen.

_Thank god Ladybug’s on the scene now,_ Felix thought. He glanced towards the stairs once again, hands twitching. It had been over ten minutes now; how long did it take to lock a door?

He debated between running back up those stairs and staying put, Marinette’s urgent tone echoing in his head. _She wants me safe._ He sat another minute in unease. _But I want her safe, too._

Felix barreled up the stairs towards Marinette’s room, only to gape at the sight of an empty room and an open trapdoor. Heart racing, his mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario.

_The akuma got her._

———————-

“Pound it!” Ladybug and Chat Noir cried in unison, bringing their fists together.

“Man, why can’t it always be that easy?” Ladybug lamented.

“Yeah, when I saw you come out with that giant firehose, I nearly lost it. Still, great job Ladybug, and uh, can I talk to you a moment before you head out?” Eyes cast down, Chat looked almost ashamed.

Concerned, Ladybug nodded. “Sure, Chat. What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to apologize once again for my behavior. I’ve had more time to really think about how I was acting, and I can see it now. It wasn’t right. I said I respected you, yet I never listened. I’ve kinda been doing the same thing with another friend of mine, and it made me realize just how bad I’ve been about it. So, I’m sorry. Really. I’m gonna do better to listen and be a partner worth your respect.”

“Wow,” Ladybug gasped, breathless. “Thank you, Chat. I’m really happy to hear it. I’ll be honest, you made me nervous for a while there. You got kinda pushy with your feelings, and manipulative. It made me worry for myself, but also for us as a team. And it’s one thing to have some civilian yelling at you, but for you to realize it on your own is a huge sign of maturity. Thank you for respecting my feelings as my partner and my friend.”

Chat Noir reached a hand behind his neck, a gesture that seemed vaguely familiar on him. “It’s the least I could do. I can’t pretend it doesn’t sting a little, accepting that you don’t feel the same way for me, but the way I handled it was definitely all wrong.” A beep echoed from Chat Noir’s ring. “Anyway, I should head out. Next time you see me, the partnership will be back and better than ever, ready to take down whatever Hawkmoth throws our way!”

Ladybug laughed at that. “I believe it! See you later, Chat!”

She retreated to her balcony and detransformed, handing Tikki a cookie and racing down to meet Felix.

When he heard footsteps barreling down the stairs, Felix shot up from the couch, livid. “Where were you?! What happened?”

“I, uh—“

“I went upstairs to check on you, and the trapdoor was open! Please tell me the akuma didn’t get you!”

“It didn’t! Ladybug got me out of there just in time. Felix, look at me! I’m safe!” She rushed to his side, placing her hands on his arms. “I’m right here.”

He huffed, avoiding her eyes. “I trust you, Marinette. I trust you more than anyone, besides my mom. When you say you’ll be fine, I trust that.”

He looked up at her then. “I was so worried when I saw that you were gone. I want to keep trusting you, Marinette, but that… that scared me. That scared me so much.”

Marinette wrapped Felix up in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Felix. You _can_ trust me. I meant it when I said I’ve done that before; locking the trapdoor is protocol. Ladybug swooping in and taking me away from danger, that’s not what usually happens.” She kept him in the hug, feeling too guilty to meet his eyes.

“Promise you’ll stay safe the next time an akuma comes.”

She hesitated, then pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “I promise.”

He held her gaze for a a few seconds, then sighed. “Okay. This has been a lot for me, today. I had a lovely time, for the most part, but I think I am going to head home now.” He paused, eyeing her cautiously, something of a hint of sadness in his gaze. “I’ll see you at school, Marinette.”

“Okay,” she said numbly. “I’ll see you then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oo bich we finally got some tension lol  
also, I got the word varan off of google translate, so if it doesn't work in this context or is like a dated work/incorrect in any way, please let me know!  
oh, and idk jack shit about baking, aside from the little fun facts about the cookies, so I used a reference recipe to help with the technical dialogue surrounding the baking. the recipe lowkey looks yummy af, so if u wanna make it, here's the link: https://www.saveur.com/chocolate-ganache-tart-recipe/


	15. Part 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix puts those brain cells to work lmao  
Also, Adrien comes full circle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, here we are, second-to-last update :') I'm already getting emotional lmao. I haven't taken on a creative project like this in quite awhile, and it's been fun! I'm sad to see it nearing its end, but of course I'm happy for y'all. And I'm glad I could get this update to you guys a little sooner than the last one came lol.  
This is far from my favorite update. Not sure if it's because there's no fluff n I personally don't enjoy reading it, or bc of the depression making everything I read/write seem bland as hell lol. Hopefully it's decent for u guys n the tone isn't too flat! I'd wait til im feeling better to try n make it perfect, but a) if im waiting for that moment its never gonna come lol and b) if I waited for things to be perfect before I posted them then id never post. Still, I hope u all enjoy !

Marinette sighed, watching Felix out of the corner of her eye ask he spoke to the art _professeur_. Posture stiff, nods short, and movements cordial, it seemed Felix returned to the formal shield he used when he first arrived at College Francoise Dupont; she couldn’t help but frown at the sight.

Alya followed her line of sight and frowned in response. “What happened last Saturday, girl? Things seem a little… awkward between you and Mr. Stiff over there.”

Marinette replayed the events in her head, searching for the non-miraculous bits she could relay to Alya. Coming up short on anything cohesive, she put her head in her hands and groaned. “Honestly, I’m not even sure how to explain it myself.”

Alya smiled sympathetically and placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “Well then, all I can say is what we both already know: open communication solves most problems.” She grinned sheepishly, still feeling the shame from her own miscommunications with Marinette.

“Yeah, I guess we know a thing or two about that.” Marinette chuckled dryly. “You’re right, though; I’m gonna go talk to him.” She rose from her seat and made her way across the room. 

“You got this, girl!” She heard Alya call out from behind her.

Marinette swallowed hard as she approached Felix. _What am I even going to say to him? “I’m sorry Felix, but I still can’t tell you what’s going on?” Ugh, I should have practiced something!_ She placed a timid hand on his should and when he turned, gave him the strongest grin she could. “Uh, hey, Felix, can we talk for a moment?”

Studying her body language and spending perhaps a bit too long looking into her eyes, he nodded. “Pardon me, _professeur_.” He excused himself, and the two took off.

Standing out front of the art room, Marinette tugged on the hem of her shirt. “Felix, I’m sorry about what happened Sat—“

“Marinette.” She stilled, eyes trained on Felix. “I trust you.” She sighed in relief. “I’m not entitled to know everything about your life, and that’s fine. However, I get the feeling that whatever you’re keeping from me must be something serious. I’m worried about you, Marinette.”

She reached for his hand, taking it in her own. “Oh, Felix. I’m not in any trouble if that’s what you’re wondering. I really wish I could tell you what’s going on, but I can’t. Not right now, and I may not be able to for a long time. I’m safe, though, and I can handle it. Do you trust me on that?”

“I…” Felix wanted to say yes. He almost said it, but he caught sight of a deep purple bruise on her right forearm. “What happened there?”

“Oh! I, uh…” Marinette’s mind flashed back to the akuma battle from the day before, when the monster knocked Chat Noir back, causing him to whack her with his baton. Apparently, the damage isn’t healed unless it’s directly caused by the akuma. “It was a baking accident! Got a little clumsy in the kitchen is all. It happens all the time!”

Felix searched her eyes once more. She just promised him she was safe, yet she was already lying to him again. “Fine then, Mlle. Marinette. If that’s your decision.” He took off down the hall, not bothering to look back in her direction. 

Just then the bell rang, dismissing everyone for lunch. Alya barreled out of the art room, nearly crashing into Marinette. “So girl, how’d it go?” She asked, excited, before catching sight of Marinette’s pursed lips and sad eyes. “Oh. Well, no worries! We’ll regroup with Nino and Adrien at lunch; I’m sure we can figure this out!” She took Marinette by the hand and dragged her out to the lunch room, making sure to seat her as far away from Felix as possible. When Nino and Adrien entered, she waved them over, shooting them a warning look as they looked over Marinette with concern.

“So, what’s going on, dudes?” Nino asked, trying to sound casual.

Looking up at her friends, Marinette took in the concern on their faces and smiled weakly. It was nice to have everyone around again, even if things weren’t quite how they used to be. 

However, seeing everyone so eager to help out, she wasn’t sure how to address the situation. What could she say to them? Nothing more than what she could say to Felix. Or even less than that, considering they were still on their way to building back trust.

“Guys, am I a flake?” She asked. Nino and Alya shifted uncomfortably, and Adrien gave her that same sympathetic smile he used to when she’d stutter in front of him. “Guys?”

“Well…” Nino started.

“Is that what Felix is upset about?” Alya asked, saving her boyfriend from saying any hard truths that their friendship might not be able to handle in its fragile state.

“To some extent, yes.” The three exchanged looks again. “Why? Am I?”

_Communication._ The word rang in Alya’s head before she decided to come clean. “It’s not your strongest suit.”

“But anyone who knows you knows that you don’t do it on purpose!” Nino adds.

“Yeah! You’re a little bit spacey and not the best with time management or dates, but it’s nothing terrible!”

“Hmm.” Marinette deflated in her seat. “I see.”

“I mean, I totally get it,” Adrien chimed in. “I feel bad for the amount of times I have to cancel last minute on you guys.”

“Yeah, but you have a psycho-dad who overloads you with extracurriculars. No offense, dude.”

“None taken.” Adrien hummed, trying to find other ways to defend Marinette. On the one hand, he knew what it was like, not just because of his “psycho-dad,” but with his duties as Chat Noir. On the other hand, it’s not like Marinette was a superhero on the side, but she did still have other commitments. “Marinette’s still the class president, though, and she babysits that little girl, too. Plus, you probably spend a lot of time designing.”

For a moment, Marinette felt a spark of what she once did for the boy, his kind sentiments warming her heart. _So he does pay attention sometimes,_ she thought to herself, then shook her head. _Nope! Not happening. I am NOT doing this again._ “Thanks, Adrien.” Was she going crazy, or was Adrien actually blushing a little? God, this day grew more confusing by the minute.

“See, Marinette? Like I said, it’s nothing terrible. Felix just doesn’t know all that about you yet; he probably thinks it’s something more serious than it is, or that you’re actually lying to him. Give him time; the more he gets to know you, the more he’ll understand.” Alya smiled and pat Marinette on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, she cringed at Alya’s words. He did know her, better than the three of them did at this point. He knew she was lying to him, and he knew it was something serious. Ugh, her friends were great for helping point that out to her, but now she needed to talk to Tikki to figure out the next step.

“You guys are right. Okay, I’m going to try talking to him again. I’ll catch you guys later!” As Marinette rose, so did Adrien.

“W-wait! Can I talk to you first, Marinette?”

“Um, sure?” She glanced at Nino and Alya, hoping for some context, only to see those two smirking. Alya waggled her eyebrows at Marinette, to which she rolled her eyes in return. “Come on, Adrien, let’s go.”

They walked into an empty classroom, and Marinette couldn’t help but feel a sense of deja vu from a few weeks prior. Hopefully whatever was happening now went better than that exchange.

“So, Marinette.” Adrien’s hand reflexively reached behind his neck. “I know you and Felix kind of have something going on, and I don’t say this to try and get in the way of things. I promise. Despite how I’ve been as a friend, I’d never intentionally hurt you or try to sabotage your happiness.”

“Huh?! Felix and I don’t have anything going on!” Marinette’s face flushed. “W-where did you get that idea?”

“Oh! Sorry!” Adrien scrambled, “I saw how close you guys were; it seemed like you two liked each other, so I just kind of assumed there was something there! Well, I guess that’s better for me, then.”

She had to reign in a scoff. The thought of Adrien picking up on her feelings towards Felix was almost too ironic. Still, she didn’t want to ruin the sincerity of the moment. Grounding herself, she faced him. “Adrien, what’s going on?”

“I like you, Marinette!” Adrien looked down at the ground. “I think I always have, but I didn’t realize it until recently. I’m not the most perceptive; I think you know that.” 

Marinette nodded dumbly. “Yeah, I’m kinda familiar with the idea.”

“A-anyway, I’m sorry that it took so long for me to realize, and even if there’s nothing between you and Felix, there’s still some tension between him and I. Like I said, I’d never tell you this to hurt you or to mess with your friendship with him, but I thought you deserved to know. That, and if I didn’t say it now, I probably would have lost my nerve.”

Marinette’s mouth hung open, gaping at just about the biggest surprise in her life. Adrien? Confessing to her? Now? If it had been a few months ago, she wouldn’t believe it. Even now, she’s having a hard time accepting it. But regardless of whether or not what she was experiencing right now was real, the truth still stood that she couldn’t return his feelings. Not anymore.

“Adrien, I… I’m sorry.” She watched his shoulders sag. “I really appreciate you telling me, though; that’s something I never had the nerve to do when I was crushing on you.” At that, his head perked right back up.

“You?! What? Seriously?!”

She chuckled. “Yeah, me, seriously.”

“When was this?”

“Well, you see,” she started, voice going high. “For just about as long as I’ve known you, up until around the time things started getting really bad with Lila.”

His shoulders sagged once more. “I see. I guess I had that coming to me.”

She placed a hand over his. “Hey, no more beating yourself up over that. If we’re working on moving past that, then you can’t let it weigh you down.”

He smiled. “You’re right. Still, it hurts in a new way now that I know it drove you away from me. I’m really sorry, Marinette.”

“I know.” She patted his hand. “I’m sorry I never told you sooner.”

“It’s okay. Knowing me, I wouldn’t have heard it back then. Like I said, I only realized my feelings recently. Before then, I was too focused on my feelings for someone else to even acknowledge any other crushes I might have had. And if we got together, I’m not sure that would change the way I acted in the whole Lila situation, which only would’ve hurt you more. This is… for the best, I think.”

“I think so, too.” She pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you again for telling me. We can still be friends, right?”

He nodded. “Friends. Just friends.” He blanched at that. “Ugh, I hate how that sounds in hindsight. How many times did I refer to you as ‘just a friend?’”

Marinette laughed hard, equally amused and exasperated. “More times than I can count.”

Before Marinette could find a way to gracefully end this conversation and go off to a make a pros and cons list of what to do about Felix with Tikki, she felt the building rumble. She and Adrien looked up, then towards each other.

“I’m gonna use the restroom,” they said at the same time, each letting out an uneasy chuckle.

“Best to go now before I’m stuck hiding from an akuma for potentially hours,” Marinette said, cringing inwardly at her residual awkwardness.

“Um, yeah, now is best,” Adrien agreed, then the two took off in opposite directions.

Reaching the girls’ room, Tikki flew out of Marinette’s purse. “Guess the Felix talk will have to wait,” she said.

“I hate to put it off, but you’re right; duty calls. Tikki, spots on!”

One flash of light later, Ladybug ran out of the girls’ room and towards the scene of action. Unbeknownst to her, a certain blonde-haired, gray-eyed individual just so happened to watch her run onto the scene, eyes widening with the revelation that Ladybug probably attends his school.

The thought of Ladybug roaming the halls of his school, potentially attending class with him, led his mind to imagine Marinette. After all, he couldn’t think of anyone more suited for the job in the whole school, perhaps even all of Paris. She was brave, stood up for what she believed in, even kind of looked like her, and was apparently a pretty formidable fighter…

_Wait a moment._ There’s no way. Sure, it made sense, but to think that Marinette was actually out there risking her life every day, taking hits… _getting bruised up, flaking on obligations, making up excuses for her friends… oh, God._

Without another moment’s hesitation, Felix ran towards the scene of the battle, determined to find the truth out for himself.

Luckily for him, the akuma seemed to specialize in close-range combat, giving Felix a better look at Ladybug’s fighting style. As she dodged laser blasts and doled out punches, he analyzed. _It looks similar, but then again, I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to fighting techniques, so it’s hard to make any definitive statements._ He decided to shift his focus towards her mannerisms.

“Way to keep him distracted, Ladybug!” Chat Noir called out from behind the akuma. “Though if it were me in your place, I think I’d have a little more fun playing with his laser-pointers.”

“You’d be too distracted by them, you silly cat!”

“They are not laser-pointers! They are weapons!” The akuma roared, turning his attention towards Chat Noir with a grin. “I’d be more than willing to give you a demonstration, little cat!” 

“Little?!” was all Chat Noir had time to question before the akuma’s lasers shot his way. “I am not little!”

“Compared to the ten-meters tall akuma? I’d side with him! But since we’re here to fight Hawkmoth, I’ll have to side with you!” Ladybug whipped out her yoyo and aimed it at Chat, pulling him out of the line of another blast.

Felix watched this scene play out with a smirk. Again, the wit and determination matched those of Marinette’s, but whose to say she’s the only girl in Paris with those traits?

_Come on Felix, you need concrete proof._ What could she do to fully convince him? What could she say? Nothing could give him the evidence he needed to reach any conclusions. Felix zoned out, ignoring the battle before him as he tried to find a solution. No, it seemed that nothing short of Ladybug herself either transforming in front of him or outright confessing to him could lead him to a real answer—

“Felix!” Ladybug cried, tackling him out of the way of falling debris. “Again, seriously?! You need to be more cautious of your surroundings; you could have been hurt by the akuma! The next time I catch you standing idly by an akuma battle, I’ll…”

Ladybug’s threat fell to the wayside as Felix got lost in his thoughts once more. Something about this scene felt entirely too familiar. Yes, they had done this once before, Ladybug rescuing him from danger and subsequently lecturing him on the dangers of being near an akuma battle, but it was something… sharper than that.

_Felix. That’s right, she called me Felix!_ The hero called him by his name on that first encounter, too, before she formally introduced herself to him. Back when he was still new in town, when he only talked to others out of obligation. Unless, of course, he was talking to…

“Marinette,” he breathed, staring into the eyes of the masked hero. She stopped her lecture dead in its tracks, staring back at Felix with wide eyes.

She remained frozen, staring at Felix in horror before finally gathering herself. “What are you talking about?! That’s ridiculous, I’m not—look out!” She just managed to shove Felix out of the way when a blast from the Akuma’s laser knocked her to the ground.

“Ladybug!” Felix screamed, fear and worry evident in his tone. Because no longer was she Ladybug, Hero of Paris. No, she was Marinette; the girl he was upset at. The girl he loved. The girl he trusted to tell him when something was wrong. The girl whose secret he sought out, even when he said he’d trusted her. He only sought it out because he was worried about her, feared for her safety.

Yes, here she was. Marinette, Hero of Paris, confirming his fears as she got hurt during battle. And it was all his fault.


	16. Part 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the end :')

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is ! The final part of the Felinette Chronicles ! Sorry if I kept you guys waiting too long; I was having a hard time writing it. My brain's pretty busted on this project lol I had to write this in pieces at a time (I usually sit n churn out a whole part at once).  
I'm not sure how I feel about it tbh, but that may be a case of looking at my own work for too long lol. Let me know what you think !

_This is all my fault,_ was Felix’s last thought before snapping back into action. With Mari— Ladybug lying on the ground in pain and the Akuma quickly approaching her, he needed to act fast. He scanned his surroundings, eyes catching on the debris and rubble to his left.

As the Akuma reached down for Ladybug’s earrings, he was knocked off-kilter by something hitting his shoulder. He turned and saw Felix standing there, rocks in hand and a taunting look on his face.

“Really, lasers? I don’t need to be well-versed in comics to know how unoriginal a power that is. You couldn’t come up with anything better?”

The Akuma smiled, unbothered by the taunt. “I’m _Combat Lumineux;_ I am the original. I don’t need anything better.” He turned towards Felix and took aim. Reaching for his wrist, Felix noticed a flash of gold on the inside.

_That must be where the Akuma is hiding._ Felix prepared to jump out of the way when he felt a presence land behind him.

“Just as I thought; whenever I have to _cat_-ch up to the party, I miss all the action. Ladybug!” Chat’s attention focused on the girl on the ground nearby. He geared up to rush towards her, but Felix placed a somber hand on his shoulder.

“She’s already been hit. Your best bet is to take care of the Akuma and let the miraculous cure heal her. The akuma is somewhere on his inner right wrist; I’ll bring Ladybug to a safer spot and try to help her gain consciousness, and you bring us the akuma when you’re finished.”

Chat Noir hesitated, then nodded, whipping out his baton and plunging back into action. Once the battle steered away from them, Felix took Ladybug in his arms and ran behind the corner of a building.

“Ladybug. Ladybug!” Her head resting in his lap, Felix caressed Ladybug's face as he pleaded for her to come to. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said your name like; I shouldn’t have been so nosy to begin with. I should have trusted you, I—“

“Felix.” Ladybug’s voice barely rose above a whisper. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not! I put you in this position; that isn’t okay!” He cast his eyes down. “All I wanted was for you to be safe…”

“I know.” She turned her head slightly towards him, opening her eyes a bit more. “I’m sorry. I wish I could’ve explained. I hated lying to you just as much as you hated being lied to, but I didn’t have any other choice. I wanted to keep you safe. Now here you are, caught up in the middle of the battle with your entire life at risk just by knowing my identity. I’m so sorry.”

The two turn their heads at the sound of Chat crashing into a wall and hitting the ground with a groan. To Felix’s horror, Ladybug puts a hand on the ground, attempting to push herself up.

“Where are you going?!”

“Chat needs me. We’ll talk more later.”

Felix’s mouth hung open. “That isn’t the issue! You cannot go out there and fight; you can’t even get up properly!”

“I have to. I’m part of a team, and right now, my partner is struggling. He needs some help.”

“Then let me do it.”

Now it was Ladybug’s turn to gape. “Felix, you can’t; you’re a civilian.”

“And you’re injured. Just let me do this.” He looked her right in the eye. “Please.”

After a pause, Ladybug returned his gaze. “Fine. This one time. But you need to stay safe, and you need to stay hidden. Okay?”

“Yes, Ladybug.” He helped her up to where she leaned against the wall instead of laying on the ground, then took off.

Felix tried to devise a plan as he ran back to the action. _Well, a distraction worked the first time, and there’s not much else action for me to take, so I guess we’ll go that route again._ He snuck back to the battle, making sure to stay hidden away from _Combat Lumineux’s_ line of sight. Once he made eye contact with Chat, he gestured at himself, then Chat, then Combat’s wrist, and hoped the cat would receive the message he was trying to convey. Luckily for him, Chat nodded with a wink.

Without any form of defense against the akuma, Felix silently begged for everything to go smoothly and for Chat to act fast. “Pardon me, _Monsieur Lumineux,_ but I couldn’t help but notice the hesitation of your wrist before you fire your lasers. Care to share what that is about?”

“What? That doesn’t concern you. Why do you care, anyway?”

“Like I said earlier, your powers seem dreadfully unoriginal. I was hoping for some interesting backstory to potentially add complexity to your otherwise droll villainy.”

Angry, Combat took aim at Felix. “Whatever. How about I give you a live demonstration instead?” At the hesitation of his wrist, Chat popped out from behind him, Cataclysm charged, and tapped Combat’s wrist with his index finger. A golden pin fell to the ground and shattered, releasing a purple butterfly and transforming _Combat Lumineux_ into a dazed _collégien._

Chat Noir grabbed hold of the butterfly and took off in Ladybug’s direction, leaving Felix alone with the _collégien._ “What happened?” The boy asked him.

“You were akumatized, but the city is safe now. Um.” Felix looked away uncomfortably. “I’m not sure what you were dealing with, but you were probably in the right to feel whatever you felt. Hawkmoth is the one who takes advantage of people’s emotions; you weren’t the villain here…” He looked in the direction that Ladybug and Chat were, then back at the kid. “Get home safe.” Sufficed, he gave an awkward nod and ran back to the heroes.

Felix breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ladybug back on her feet, fist-bumping Chat. Though she laughed with him, her face fell flat as soon as she noticed Felix’s presence. He gulped.

“Ladybug, I am so glad to see you’re okay—“

“Stop. What were the conditions I gave you to go out in my place?” She crossed her arms and fixed a hard gaze on him.

“To stay safe and to stay hidden…”

“Oh, so you do remember. That means you went directly against my warnings when you placed yourself at the center of the Akuma’s attention!” Even Chat winced at the admonishment. “What were you thinking?”

“My apologies, but sometimes you have to do things you don’t like in order to protect others. I’m sure you relate to that sentiment as the protector of Paris.”

Ladybug’s anger fizzled out a bit, but still, she grumbled something like, “How dare you use my own words against me?” while the rest came out inaudible.

Chat shot them both a questioning look, confused by Ladybug’s reaction, but decided it’d be best if he gave them some privacy. “Hey LB, why don’t you escort Felix home? I’m gonna transform soon, and since you didn’t use your Lucky Charm, you still have some time.”

She gave him a puzzled look, but as he shot a glance at Felix then back to her, she understood. Smiling, she nodded. Meanwhile, even Felix managed to be impressed but Chat’s perceptiveness and understanding in this situation. _He’s actually matured a bit since that first interaction; good to see him following through on his word._

“Good idea, Chat, thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow for patrol.” With a final wink and a nod, he takes off.

“Listen, Ladybug, I—“

“Felix.” He stiffened at her formal tone. “I know I still have some time before I transfer back, but it’s not enough time for the conversation we’re about to have. Plus, I think I just need some time to process. Can we meet back at my— at Marinette’s house at sunset?”

Clearing his throat, Felix tried his best to match her professional tone. “Sure, that sounds like a good plan. I will see you at Marinette’s house at sunset.” With a stiff nod, she swung off.

“God, what have I done?” Felix asked himself. “I’ve broken the trust of my only friend, gotten her injured, put her and my own safety at risk, and ruined our friendship, that’s what I’ve done.” _And crushed any opportunity I had to confess my feelings to her_ went unspoken. He wrung his wrists and made his way back to his house; it was going to be a long couple of hours.

Meanwhile, Marinette wasn’t much better off. “I blew it, Tikki,” she said, back in the safety of her room. “Felix knows who I am, and now he’s in danger. He’s mad at me for lying to him, I’m mad at him for putting himself at risk, and I’m mad at myself for ruining his trust in me.”

“I don’t think he’s mad, Marinette,” Tikki said, munching on a cookie. “I think he might have been before he found out, but he probably understands why you had to keep him in the dark at this point.”

Marinette sighed, plopping down on her chaise. “You’re right about that, but there’s still the factor that _he knows who I am_ and now that puts him at risk! He’ll be targeted by Hawkmoth! Ugh, and I didn’t even deny it when he said my name! I could’ve pretended I didn’t know what he was talking about, or started talking about Marinette like she’s a different person, or, or, or something!”

“You were caught by surprise and unprepared to think about that scenario. Besides, he figured it out on his own; even if you didn’t confirm it in that moment, he would have come to know the truth eventually. He’s clever and perceptive; it wouldn’t have slipped by him for much longer. You did what you could to protect your identity, Marinette. You’re an extremely cautious Ladybug, and I don’t fault you for this.”

“You don’t?”

Tikki flew up to Marinette and nuzzled her cheek. “No, I don’t. You gave him no major clues, not that I know of. He’s just attentive enough to put together small details.”

“… You’re right. I couldn’t have stopped him. He would have sought out the truth for as long as I kept lying to him. Still, this puts him in a dangerous position. If Hawkmoth found out that he knew my identity, he would target him. He might kidnap him or hurt him or who knows what else.” Marinette chewed on her lip, letting her mind run through all of the possibilities. “I can’t stand to see him hurt, Tikki. I can’t. I almost get why…” she paused, recalling how she yelled at him earlier and how he gave her words right back to her.

“…Why he was so worried about you?” Tikki finished for her.

“Yeah.” She blew her bangs out of her face. “You know, Tikki, I think he and I are more alike than I realized.”

“I think so.”

She took a deep breath in. “Okay. He’s smart. I’m smart. He’s protective. I’m protective; we’d both throw ourselves in the face of danger to protect the ones we l...“

Tikki giggled. “Come on, Marinette, just say it.”

“The ones we love. Bottom line, we’re capable, and we’ll get through this together.”

“There’s the hero spirit! You can handle this Marinette.” The two turned their heads at the sound of Sabine calling upstairs, saying Marinette had a visitor. Tikki smiled at Marinette. “Are you ready?”

She smiled back. “Yeah, I am.”

When she got downstairs, Marinette’s parents were smiling warmly at Felix, offering him a croissant and a hot chocolate, to which he stiffly but politely accepted. As soon as they saw her though, they let him free; over-welcoming as they might be, they could still read a room and knew these two had something to discuss. They exited quietly while Marinette and Felix stood there, waiting on each other to break the ice.

“So,” they said in unison. Marinette reached for his hand.

“Come on, let’s get to the balcony; it’s a better spot for conversation.” He smiled softly as she dragged him up the stairs, grateful that she didn’t seem too upset.

Felix smiled when he reached the balcony; he hadn’t really seen it last time. There were string lights lining the walls, a few well-watered plants on the sides, and a couple seats in the center. It felt very cozy. It felt very Marinette.

Warmed by the setting, he took a deep breath in. “I want to begin by apologizing. I told you that I knew I wasn’t entitled to know everything about your life, yet I pushed this subject anyway. And because I did, I found out information I shouldn’t have, and you wound up hurt. I’m not asking for your forgiveness, I’m having a difficult time forgiving myself, but I do want you to know that I am sorry.”

Marinette reached for his hand once more. “I’m sorry, too. I’m sorry for lying to you and worrying you. When you were out there distracting the akuma, I was angry, but I was so, so worried. I understand how you feel.”

“Then you should know that I’m still worried.” He squeezed her hand. “As both the hero of Paris and as Marinette, you’ve shown me your strength, and I know that you are more than capable of taking on Hawkmoth and his Akumas. However, that doesn’t mean this doesn’t scare me.” He cast his gaze to the side. “I know I’ve only made things more difficult for you.”

“Honestly, this scares me, too. You getting caught up in this is the last thing I wanted. There’s a lot of danger in knowing my identity; if Hawkmoth were ever to find out that you knew, you’d become a target. And if you are ever akumatized, you could lead him straight to me in my civilian form, and that’s very dangerous for not just us but all of Paris.”

Felix’s eyes widened and he went a little pale. “I had not thought about that. That terrifies me even more. Marinette, I am so sorry.”

“What’s done is done, but we will get through this. We’ll just have to be even more cautious. It’s scary, but it isn’t anything we can’t face.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’ve just… I’ve never cared this much for anyone before, and the thought of anything happening to you is too much to bear. Spending these past few days distancing myself from you was difficult enough as is; I’m not as accustomed to my cold-shoulder act as I once was. If anything were to keep us apart, I don’t think I could handle it.”

Marinette’s entire face lit up from the confession. “I… I didn’t realized you cared for me that much.”

“Of course I do, Marinette. I’m sorry that I’ve behaved in a way that made you doubt that, but let me assure you that I care for you very much. If I’m honest, I care for you in a way that reaches deeper than friendship.” Felix took both of her hands in his, looking her in the eyes. “I love you, Marinette.”

She gasped softly. “You love me, too?” To which, Felix’s mouth dropped.

“‘Too?’”

She squeezed his hands and looked away. “Yeah…”

“I thought you acted the way you did to me because you’re kind to everyone.” He chuckled. “I thought it was all in my head.”

“When I picked up feelings from you, I thought I was just projecting my own feelings. I thought it was all in my head, too.” Felix laughs harder at that, and soon enough, the two were lost in their own little giggle fest.

When the laughter died down, Marinette wiped a tear from her eye. “Wow, what a mess. I guess I’m just as clumsy as ever when it comes to things like this.”

With a smirk, Felix wraps his arms around her waist. “Hmm, I wouldn’t say that.” Then he brought his lips down to hers, kissing her softly. After a moment’s surprise, she kissed back, just as sweet.

They stayed that way for a few more seconds before she pulled back, both staring into each other’s eyes and smiling. Marinette’s contemplating a round two when Tikki zipped out from behind her, making Felix jump about a foot high.

“Well, isn’t that just adorable!” Tikki cooed. “I’m so happy for you two!”

“W-what…” Felix trailed off, unsure how to even finish the question.

“Oh, sorry! I forgot to talk about that earlier!” Marinette grinned, apologetic. “Felix, this is Tikki! She’s a Kwami, the god of creation, the source of all my powers, and my best friend.”

Tikki blushed at the last part. “Aw, Marinette!” Then, to Felix, “It’s nice to officially meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tikki,” Felix said, a little dazed. He smiled and nodded, a teasing look growing on his face. “What have I gotten myself into?”

Marinette’s face fell, her mind already spiraling. “Oh no, I dragged you into this and now you’ll have to deal with tiny gods and me being late to everything and dates being interrupted by Akumas and—“ she stopped as she felt his hand grab hers.

“Hey Marinette, it’s okay; I was just teasing you.” He smiled warmly, eyes crinkling as he swung her arm a little. He looked from her to Tikki, then to the balcony and out to the rest of Paris. With the sun setting, all of the buildings were beginning to light up. It was a beautiful sight made even more beautiful knowing the girl next to him was responsible for protecting it every day. He looked back to her, expression full of love.

“I wouldn’t trade this for the world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is ! Thank u so much to everyone who went on this journey with me, it means a lot :') I didn't expect to get as many people reading it as y'all have ! I've put out a few one shots before, and I was expecting abt the same amt of attention for this, but it became so much more thanks to u guys <3  
If u guys liked this, I encourage u to follow me on Tumblr (lilbugwrites) or ko-fi (ciaraangelyn) for updates on any future writing (I swear I'll be more active on ko-fi now lol). If not, I'm still grateful to y'all for reading this one :')


	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise motherfuckers >:) I've always wanted to write an epilogue; lowkey I wanted to have it wayyy back for Valentine's Day, but obv it's been a rough year heheh

“Felix?” Marinette squeezed the hand in hers, taking note of the twitching of his fingers. “What are you so fidgety for? I thought you said your mom and I would get along great.” 

“Yes, and I still believe that…” 

“But?” 

Felix looked upwards, taking in a breath. “But she can be a little intense.” He took his eyes off the sky when he heard Marinette scoff next to him. “What?” 

“You think I have no experience with intense parents? After how many conversations with my dad?” 

Felix’s face fell flat. “Right. Well then, let’s go ahead.” 

Before Felix could even reach forward, the doors in front of him swung forward, revealing a bright blonde woman with smooth skin and beaming green eyes. She wore a powder blue oversized blazer paired with a white lace blouse underneath and crisp, light gray pants. She had a few distinct silver rings on each hand, white mules, and a wide grin. “I thought I heard you at the door, Fe!” she called, wrapping Felix up in a bear hug. “How are you today, dear?” She released him from the hug and immediately fixed her gaze on Marinette. “Oh, and you must be Marinette! Hello sweetheart, I’m Odette; it’s so nice to finally meet you!” She wrapped Marinette up in an equally big hug. She pulled away and took in Marinette’s outfit: a soft pink dress that cut off above the knee, with ruffled straps and ruching at the bust. There was a pink mesh outer layer with red hearts of various sizes embedded in it. She paired it with soft pink sandals with a low heel and ankle straps and her hair in a loose braid, side pieces curled to frame her face. “Your dress is so cute! Very soft and sweet, much like your smile. Well, come inside, you two! Lunch is almost ready.” 

Marinette blushed and smiled at Felix. “Yeah, you were worried for nothing; I love your mom already.” 

They followed behind Odette, Marinette taking in the vast size of the estate. Though a little smaller in size, it was near identical to Gabriel Agreste’s in structure, but the personalized decor gave it a much more homey feel than the cold Agreste mansion. She smiled at all the photos of Felix and Odette lining the walls, giggling at how cute toddler Felix was. “These pictures are adorable.” 

“Oh, aren’t they? Felix complains about them from time to time—“ 

“They are embarrassing,” he mumbled. 

“But I think they’re darling!” She paused to fawn over a frame depicting Felix at the foot of a slide, cheeks ruddy and mouth pouting. “I know every mom says this, but I absolutely had the cutest baby in the world.” 

“Mom,” Felix said, voice strained and cheeks reddening to match the photo. “I think that’s enough; let’s get to the dining room.” 

“Fine, fine, but we’ll be coming back to this later.” Odette laughed and continued walking. “I know Marinette wants to see more of those.” 

Starry-eyed, Marinette nodded. “I do; baby Felix is too adorable!” 

“Marinette!” Felix looked away while the two girls giggled some more. 

At the table, they were met with a large array of fruit platters and charcuterie, as well as a light bowl of soup sitting in front of each of their seats at the table. “Go ahead and help yourselves to as much as you’d like, but don’t fill up too much! _Le plat principal_ is still on its way!” 

Marinette’s eyes widened at the spread before them. “This is a lot of food for three people.” 

Odette chuckled. “Don’t worry, none of it will go to waste! This is meant to feed our lovely staff who prepared this meal as well. Now, sit down! Enjoy! And Marinette, please tell me a little more about yourself. While I’ve heard more than plenty of wonderful things about you from Felix,” she paused to send a cheeky smile Felix’s way as he choked and sputtered, “I’d like to hear some of it from you yourself, especially where fashion and design are involved.” 

“Oh! Well, uh, let’s see…” Marinette reached a hand behind her neck, a little uncomfortable to be talking about herself and her works. “I’ve been designing for as long as I’ve been doodling, and I started making clothes when my grandma gave me my first sewing kit when I was eight. It started out with small things, hats and scarves and mending tears, but it never got boring. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn, you know? And here we are now.” 

“How sweet, and Felix tells me that ‘now’ involves designing for big names like Jagged Stone and my own brother-in-law! That’s quite a tremendous feat for someone your age. At your age, I barely knew the basics of sewing. Now here I am, traveling to beautiful places across the globe, attending fashion weeks and reviewing renowned designers. You’re going to see all of that and more a lot sooner in life than I did. Oh, it’s so exciting! When you debut, let me know, and I’ll be there for it! Even better, I’ll back you! I want my name behind you when you make your grand entrance.” 

Marinette’s cheeks were as red as the first time she realized her feelings for Felix. “That’s so kind, thank you, but you haven’t even seen my designs yet!” 

Odette stood up from her seat, passion burning in her eyes. “Oh, but I have! I’ve seen what you’ve done for Gabriel and Jagged, I saw your designs on a runway that Felix walked last year, and I’ve seen your website. You’re incredibly talented, Marinette, and I’d be honored if you chose me as your sponsor over my dear brother.” 

“B-but, Monsieur Agreste hasn’t made me an offer.” 

“He will in time, though,” Felix cut in, his mother nodding along. “He already knows your talent; it’s merely a matter of experience and recognition. When you meet his standards for those two areas as well, he’s bound to strike.” 

“And when he does, you can say, ‘Sorry, but my beautiful and sweet mother-in-law is already taking care of me.” Felix and Marinette both choked on their food at those words. 

“We’re 15, mom,” Felix spat out between coughing fits, while Marinette adopted a stutter she hasn’t been acquainted with since her feelings for Adrien. 

“I, uh, I-I mean—“ 

“Sorry dears, I didn’t mean to send you into a panic!” she said with a laugh that indicated she absolutely meant to do that. “I just really appreciate you and all you’ve done for Felix, and I want you to stick around in his life for a really, really, _really_ long time.” Marinette and Felix’s faces heated up once more, but Odette’s went somber. “He’s had a bit of a rough past, and though I haven’t loved his lack of friendships, given what he’s been through, I never pushed it. I never wanted to see my son ignore his own pain ever again, and if keeping others away achieved that, then I couldn’t be upset. Seeing his relationship with you, however, I feel blessed. 

“Even before you two started dating, I could see your impact on my sweet Fe. His face was brighter and he had an openness to him I hadn’t seen since he and Adrien were attached at the hip. But it was more than that; you melted the ice that began to form around him. You brought compassion and care into his life, something he’s never experienced from anyone outside of our family, and I will forever be grateful for that.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “But I’m getting extremely sentimental, aren’t I? Let’s go ahead and bring out _le plat principal!_ There’s no better cure for feelings like these than a great meal.” 

The staff brought out the main course as Felix and Marinette exchanged warm looks. Under the table, Felix squeezed Marinette’s hand, thumb slowly stroking the back of her hand with care. “As much as I’m embarrassed, that was very well-said, mom. Nothing but the truth. I love you, Marinette.” 

She squeezed his hand back. “I love you too, Felix.” 

Across the table, Odette squealed. “You two are just too adorable! Hold on!” She brought her phone out and took a picture, capturing the enamored looks the two were giving each other. “There, I never want to lose sight of that moment.” 

A strangled noise escaped Felix’s lips. “Mom, please.” 

“Oh Fe, you’ll be thanking me for that picture five years from now.” 

“I have to agree with her on this one,” Marinette said softly. 

The conversation died down during their meal, everyone quietly savoring what the chefs had prepared. When they finished, Odette called for coffee but no dessert, Felix having told her in advance that they’d be going out for ice cream afterwards. 

As she added cream to her coffee, Odette took note of Marinette’s choice in jewelry. “I have to say Marinette, I’m a bit surprised in your choice of earrings; the stark black doesn’t quite fit the softness of your dress.” 

Both kids nearly spill their coffee at her words, despite Marinette having a go-to excuse whenever someone comments on them. “I-I get that lot, actually, but they’re a family heirloom, and I never take them off.” 

Odette smirked. “Ah, I see. They kind of remind me of the stuffy old artifacts that stuffy old Gabriel used to have.” 

The two exchanged a glance, and Felix turned to his mom with curiosity. “Artifacts? What artifacts?” 

“Awhile back, Gabriel used to be obsessed with these little zodiac artifacts. He’d spend so much time and energy researching them, even dragging Emilie out to China to try to collect them. They only ever found two; I wonder if he still has them.” 

Eyes wide, Marinette pressed further. “Do you know what they were or what they looked like?” 

Odette shrugged. “I never got to look at them; I just know from Emilie’s description that they had that same starkness to them as your earrings, but Gabriel was oddly secretive about it. I think it was one of those odd habits that the wealthy take on; he must have been embarrassed that he didn’t have the full set to show off, only two pieces.” 

“Ah yes, that must be it,” Felix agreed, his tone placating. 

“Do you know at least what they might have represented?” Marinette smiled nervously. “I’ve just started getting into the Chinese zodiac to try to connect more with my culture, so I’m very curious.” 

“Hmm, I think Emilie mentioned something about wings, but she didn’t say much. Gabriel was so anole about it all; he wouldn’t even let her talk to her own sister about it.” Odette pouted. “He was like that with most things, that stubborn man.” She sighed. “Oh well, he probably lost interest when he couldn’t find them all, though I wonder if your family heirloom is part of the set. I bet that would drive him crazy, seeing them and knowing he couldn’t have it. I’d pay to see the look on his face.” 

“Yes, I bet it would be most amusing,” Felix hummed. “Well, we’re off for ice cream now. Do you care to join us?” 

Odette waved a hand casually. “No, no, I’ve taken enough of your time; you two enjoy yourselves. Call me if you’ll be out late, Felix dear. And as always, be a gentleman. Marinette sweetheart, it was so wonderful to finally meet you!” 

“You too, Madame Odette.” 

“Goodbye, mom.” 

Felix shut the door behind him, and the two walked hand-in-hand for a few blocks before breaching the subject. 

“So, two artifacts, huh?” Marinette pondered. 

“And at least one of them has something to do with wings. That could be the moth or the peacock.” 

Marinette kissed Felix’s cheek, smiling at the pink lipstick smudge on pink-tinged skin. “Thank you for today, Felix; lunch with your mom was even better than I expected. I got to meet her, I saw cute baby pictures of you, and best of all, I think I found a new lead.” 

Back at the estate, Odette poured herself another cup of coffee, a smirk resting on her features. A member of the kitchen staff offered her sugar and creamer. “Did you enjoy the lunch today, Madame Odette?” 

“Why, yes I did. I was already looking forward to meeting my dear son’s significant other, but Marinette was even more than I expected. Sweet, talented, and cute… I’d say she’s miraculous.” 


End file.
